[MikeJ75]

ScanEagle, a long-endurance fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Boeing [NYSE:BA] and The Insitu Group, has surpassed 3,000 combat flight hours during operations in Iraq in just ten months.

What does "fully autonomous" mean in this context? Does it mean the machine is given instructions before it launches but is not operated by remote control after the launch?

[Righty_McRight]

It can be used both ways.

Due to its unique launch and recovery systems, ScanEagle takeoffs and landings are unaffected by terrain and other conditions such as crosswinds. It is launched autonomously via a pneumatic wedge catapult launcher and flies pre-programmed or operator-initiated missions.

[superfries]

usually it means that it is not a man/operator in the loop operation. Not sure if that is the case with this UAV.