Established in 2003, the Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles (RECUV)  is a university, government, and industry partnership that collaborates to design, develop, and implement new technologies that will enhance the communications, mobility, and overall performance of unmanned vehicle systems.

The center addresses the technical challenges associated with unmanned vehicles by integrating the traditional aerospace disciplines of aerodynamics, structures, navigation, control, and vehicle design with telecommunications, sensors, networks, and robotics. Graduates of the center have gone to careers at companies such as Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, and Insitu Group.