Introduced in 1963, the QH-50 Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH) was the first pilotless drone, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), to be used in the military. Piloted from the ship by ìDrone Controllers using a special instrument panel, it was designed to take off from a destroyer, launch torpedoes at enemy submarines, return to the ship and land. Later versions of the DASH were outfitted with cameras and used for reconnaissance, setting the stage for the sophisticated advancements in UAVs we see today.
Take a look at this video of the DASH in action.