ZHUHAI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The average annual growth rate of the global unmanned aircraft system (UAS) industry will maintain at over 20 percent, and its cumulative output value will exceed 400 billion US dollars in 10 years, according to a white paper released Tuesday.

Unmanned aircraft displayed in Zhuhai (Photo:VCG)

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd. released the white paper, saying the scale of investment in the UAS industry has increased by 30 times compared with 20 years ago, generating about 15 billion US dollars of output value every year globally.

The paper said military use still accounted for the vast majority of the UAS production, while wide application in the civilian field opens a market potential for greater industrialization.

Drones are now widely used in aerial photography, forestry protection, security, geological surveys, electric power inspections and logistics transportation, said the white paper, adding that new usage scenarios are being explored.