MAV

A Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), or Micro Aerial Vehicle is a man-portable Unmaned Aerial Vehicle.

Singleplayer
During the campaign mission "Thunder Run", a remote MAV operator patches his video feed to "Misfit" detachment, allowing Cpl. Miller to designate an airstrike on a rocket artillery camp. A pair of A-10 Thunderbolt IIs respond and strafe the camp, to little effect.

Multiplayer
The MAV Micro UAV is a Recon gadget in Battlefield 3. It is deployable and is used to remotely spot enemies. Players can earn awards for effective use of the MAV.

Standard thermal imaging can highlight certain equipment. Visibility is limited to a sector below horizontal and above vertical. This prevents the operator from seeing anything directly underneath.

A built-in motion sensor can passively detect moving infantry and vehicles beneath the MAV. If left unattended, the MAV can continue to provide surveillance, but the operator will only gain Spotting Assists. (Operators only gain Motion Sensor Assists when the MAV is actively operated.)

Though not equipped with weapons, the MAV can jam—by pressing or —various enemy gadgets. (This is not related to the functionality provided by an air vehicle's ECM Jammer.) The operator can obtain weapon lock when up close to simplify the process, but can still destroy devices that are not locked with good aim.

It is capable of roadkills by ramming into an opposing player at high speeds. Spring metal feet allow the vehicle to safely return to ground if communication with the controller is lost (player exits view or is killed).

MAVs have their own minimap icon. Friendly MAVs appear in blue, while spotted enemy MAVs appear in red.

The MAV can be shot down by enemies, though its small size and decent maneuverability make the task difficult. It can be locked on by anti-air weapons. If the MAV strays out of bounds for too long, it will be automatically destroyed.

In certain small maps like Seine Crossing, the MAV has a low ceiling (lower than the rooftops), limiting its ability to traverse the battlefield. Unseen map geometry features can also make for some tricky maneuvering.

During the beta, the MAV was able to carry C4 for use in a C4 UAV attack, and carry other soldiers (similar to the drone elevator exploit). These abilities were removed in the retail version (as with similar behaviors with the EOD Bot). The C4 packs will simply not stick to the device.

The MAV is based on the Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk.

HUD elements
Like the EOD Bot, the MAV shows various bits of info in its display :
 * Camera bearing
 * GPS latitude and longitude
 * Camera elevation/declination
 * Recording time of day
 * Range in meters to crosshair target (maximum 200m)

Jam equipment
The MAV can jam certain devices, destroying them and earning the player 20 points:
 * Other MAVs
 * EOD Bot
 * T-UGS
 * SOFLAM
 * RADIO BEACON

Claymore mines can also be destroyed, though they cannot be spotted or locked on like other devices. Other explosives cannot be detonated, but can be seen in infrared.