Originally Posted By: hybrid8
My definition of payload is something that the vehicle is a carrying, that is not part of the vehicle itself. In other words, something being transported which is placed onto/into and then offloaded at some point. A navigational component is an inherent part of the vehicle itself. But a person, missile or bomb are not, so a drone so-equipped with releasable weapons could be called a vehicle by definition.

Sensor packages, communication relays and weapon loadouts are all examples of things that are configured (removable/replacable) based on mission.