Intelligent Civilian UAV Systems: Integration of AI, Swarm Technologies, and Strategic Foresight in Next-Generation Drone Applications

As intelligent systems become central to the evolution of cyber-physical infrastructures, civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are transitioning into fully autonomous, AI-augmented platforms capable of operating across diverse sectors with minimal human intervention. This study delivers a comprehensive, foresight-driven analysis of next-generation UAV ecosystems, integrating insights from ۲۲ peer-reviewed sources, cutting-edge research from IEEE, MDPI, and SpringerLink, and empirical case studies. Key technological advancements—ranging from swarm-based mission autonomy and GNSS-denied navigation to real-time visual analytics on edge computing architectures—are examined in relation to high-value applications such as precision agriculture, aerial logistics, urban surveillance, and autonomous disaster response. Comparative analytics of ۲۰۲۵’s leading civilian UAVs and visionary drone concepts are presented to benchmark operational capabilities, energy endurance, and AI integration levels. Quantitative findings demonstrate efficiency improvements of up to ۹۲% in smart farming operations and up to ۳۰۰% energy persistence in solar-powered UAV prototypes. In parallel, the paper addresses critical barriers including cybersecurity threats, regulatory fragmentation in BVLOS operations, and ethical challenges related to autonomous surveillance. It concludes by outlining strategic policy recommendations and future-ready innovation pathways for enabling UAV-as-a-Service (UaaS), scalable swarm architectures, and resilient aerial infrastructures by ۲۰۳۰.