Editing Surveillance aircraft (section)

===World War I===
One of the first aircraft used for surveillance was the [[Rumpler Taube]] during [[World War I]], when aviators like [[Fred Zinn]] evolved entirely new methods of reconnaissance and photography. The translucent wings of the plane made it very difficult for ground-based observers to detect a Taube at an altitude above 400 m. The French also called this plane "the Invisible Aircraft", and it is sometimes also referred to as the "world's very first stealth plane". German Taube aircraft were able to detect the advancing Russian army during the [[Battle of Tannenberg (1914)]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Aircraft were initially used for reconnaissance missions. The pilots of these initial aircraft would track the movement of enemy troops using photographs. These photos would be used to understand enemy formations and create maps that would eventually be used by [[infantry]]. By 1916, these aircraft would assist in the spotting of artillery, and the guidance and coordination of infantry. These aircraft forced enemy troops to camouflage their position to hide from aerial observation.<ref name=":32">{{Cite web |title=Air War - Aerial Reconnaissance |url=https://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/battles-and-fighting/air-war/aerial-reconnaissance/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Canada and the First World War}}</ref>

Eventually, surveillance aircraft would be highly valued due to commander’s reliance on their information. However, surveillance aircraft would fly a low, slow, and predictable flight path, and with the introduction of [[Aerial warfare|aerial combat]], surveillance aircraft were an easy target.<ref name=":32" />