Counter-UAV

Counter-UAV is a multiplayer killstreak reward in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and set to appear in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
After achieving a killstreak of 4 (or 3 in a row if the perk Hardline is selected), the player can call in a Counter-UAV Predator drone that will completely obscure the maps and minimaps of all enemies with static for 30 seconds. This effect is identical to that of the Scrambler perk at its closest range. As with either effect, any affected player that activates a killstreak reward that causes the full map to come up, such as an airstrike, will find that map and the player markers on it completely obscured as well. The Counter-UAV drone is identical to the UAV Recon Drone, and can likewise be destroyed in order to end its effect - it does, however, fly slightly higher than its Recon cousin. The Counter-UAV will (as its name may suggest) obscure enemy maps even while they have a UAV Recon drone active, even if the Recon drone is activated after the Counter-UAV. It is not available as a killstreak by default and must be unlocked. As with the UAV Recon killstreak, the player is awarded 100 XP upon its activation.

The emblem awarded for completing the related challenge of calling in 50 Counter-UAVs is shown to the right.

Tactics
This killstreak best complements an overall stealth/recon class, complete with UAV Recon, Ninja, heartbeat sensor, and silenced weapons. When used altogether, the player can, at least for a short time, be completely impervious to detection by anything but the naked eye. Alternately, it can be used to compensate for a lack of stealth, allowing a player without a silencer to open fire with much less fear of being located.

Obviously, the Counter-UAV offers almost no advantage against an opponent that simply does not use their map/minimap. Likewise, it does not contribute at all to the stealthiness of those already using silenced weapons and Cold-Blooded, as they will already never appear on enemy radar (though, as always, silencers will still make it more difficult for enemies to locate the shooter either by sound or watching tracers). The argument can even be made that, while enemies excessively focused on their minimaps are easier to catch unaware, the Counter-UAV forces them to take their eyes off the minimap and search their surroundings more carefully, and may therefore actually make them more dangerous to those using silencers. Its usefulness is also greatly reduced on the smallest maps, such as Rust and Scrapyard, where the fight is often too fast-paced and obvious to afford or warrant a glance at the minimap. If an enemy activates such a killstreak while under a Counter-UAV, they will either have to guess at their target or be immobilized while they wait for the Counter-UAV to depart. On maps like Derail, Carnival and Afghan, it is much more effective.

On a stealth loadout (Silencers, Ninja Pro, Cold Blooded Pro, etc.), the Counter-UAV, while not doing much for the player's own benefit, can aid the player's team by concealing the position of firing teammates or to negate an enemy UAV. Or, in a Free-For-All match, it can prevent drawing unwanted attention following a firefight against an opponent that is using an unsilenced weapon.

The Counter-UAV competes with the Care Package for the 4-killstreak slot. It is tactically more sound for a rushing class to use the Counter-UAV over the Care Package since it is less risky and time consuming to call in (keep in mind that rushing classes will often be near or in the enemy spawn, making it much more hazardous to call in a Care Package) and helps disrupt the enemy team more.

Counter UAV's are also very useful when enemies are trying to conduct airstrikes. The Jammer will also scramble the Airstrike map, making it confusing to pinpoint it.

Counter-UAV is often considered useless in Hardcore games, where there is generally no minimap. However, not only is it useful to counter Recon UAVs, but obscuring the large map with it prevents an enemy team from locating each other with anything but the naked eye, as well. As such, activating Counter-UAV while the other team is spread out (as after a mass respawn) can destroy their cohesion and allow them all to be picked off individually.

Counter-UAV is particularly useful in Search and Destroy as it makes locating the target and planning avenues of approach to it far more difficult. It is also ideal for Free for All games, as it will obscure every single player's map but the player's own, giving him a distinct advantage.

Another useful tactic is to use the Counter-UAV then the Predator Missile, thus giving the enemies no missile marker on their mini-maps. Also, if used before using a killstreak aircraft, it will take a lot longer to get shot down, due to them being unable to see the aircraft.

Yet another tactic is to equip UAV Recon and kill 3 enemies, but waiting to deploy the UAV Recon until the player has reached a Killstreak of 4. This simultaneously disables the player's enemies' Radar while enhancing his or her own team's Radar, and can be even more easily obtained with Hardline.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
The Counter-UAV returns in Modern Warfare 3 as part of the Support Strike Package. The C-UAV functions identically to its Modern Warfare 2 incarnation. However, running the Pro version Assassin makes the player immune to the Counter UAV's effect.

Trivia

 * The Counter-UAV has a different serial number than the UAV Recon Drone, but other than that they are very similar.
 * The drone becomes invulnerable the moment that its effect times out, so it cannot be destroyed for XP or challenges while it is flying away.
 * This is one of only three killstreak rewards that cannot kill in any way. The others are UAV Recon and EMP.
 * The Counter-UAV, EMP and Tactical Nuke are the only 3 killstreaks that directly affect all opposing players.
 * There is a challenge called "Sunblock" that the player gets if he or she calls in three Counter-UAVs in a single match (in any game mode).
 * The Counter-UAV flies are in the reverse direction (counter clockwise) of the UAV.
 * In Modern Warfare 3, sometimes the Spetznaz announcer says "The enemy is fucking our radar" when the enemy calls in a counter UAV