The new drone, called the Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System (LMAMS) will weigh just 5 pounds and will be used for discrete targets to minimise collateral damage.
The US Army has invited applications from contractors to build the drone and wants it ready for use by 2016 at the latest, website Wired.Com reported.
An operator should be able to carry LMAMS in a backpack and set it up to fly within two minutes.
When army units - small ones, since the US Army wants LMAMS "organic to the small unit level"