Despite the fact that the US has been using them for more than 10 years now, drones are a somewhat controversial topic with a lot of mystery yet surrounding them, and there are likely many things you need to know about drones still as a result. Of course there is no denying the involvement of these unmanned aerial vehicles in the fight against terror, and the White House as well as the Pentagon have repeatedly supported this strategy. International critics have also participated in the debate, claiming violations of international law have been committed by allowing drones to carry out attacks in sovereign nations. Nevertheless, the lack of concrete information regarding civilian and combatant casualties, along with the failure of the US government to present a more transparent procedure when it comes to using drones, has created a great deal of controversy.
Although sometimes we present seemingly softer topics, such as our previous article on the 5 largest online retailers in the world, it’s interesting to note how they are often inextricably entwined in various ways with more noteworthy topics. This is most evident in the fact that Amazon, one of the largest online retailers in the world (check out the list to see if they were number one), has plans to make deliveries from their warehouses to customers via drones, a plan that is facing scrutiny and legal challenges in many jurisdictions.
We decided now to present you with ten more things you need to know about drones, since most people only have a vague idea as to what this piece of machinery is fully capable of. In fact, most people are now thinking about drones for civilian use, yet have little knowledge about the size of the military programs that have been in place for over a decade, which make use of them in various ways. Thus, in an attempt to keep our readers informed regarding this important topic, we have come up with a list of aspects of the drone program you probably were not aware of.
The following list is not exhaustive and there are certainly many more things to say about the use of drones, yet due to the secret nature of the topic at hand, we will be as factual as possible. Thus, our current post will in no way attempt to argue against or in favor of drones, nor will we get into any details of war scenarios, which are already complicatd enough. Rather, we simply wish to present you with the following cohesive list of things you need to know about drones, since they seem to be the weapon of choice in this new century.
10. Crashing Drones
The first item on our list that few are aware of, is the fact that drones are actually prone to accidents and have crashed on several occasions. The most famous incident involves the crash of an RQ-170 Sentinel drone in Iran, yet this was certainly not the only time technical failure has led to the loss of one of these aircraft.
9. First Drones had a Clear Target
The drone program was started in 1998 during the Bill Clinton administration, after the President refused to take out Osama Bin Laden with a cruise missile. Drones would come to solve the issue of civilian casualties, which at that point were deemed too high to carry out the attack.
8. Drones are Increasingly Popular in the US
Although initially designed for combat and deployed on a large scale in Afghanistan and Iraq, drones are now also becoming popular in the US. And these are not civilian aircraft, but military drones commanded by the Pentagon, NASA and the Department of Homeland Security.
7. Expanding Role of Military Drones
Initially, drones were only capable of surveillance and were equipped with Hellfire Missiles in order to take out targets. Now, tiny drones can be stored in backpacks for special missions, while others are in charge of transporting supplies to troops.
6. More Civilian Uses on the Way
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the drone program is the potential civilian use these aircraft have. All around the globe, new uses are being found for these unmanned aircraft, including the above-mentioned delivery services, surveillance, damage assessment and environmental monitoring.
5. Most Military Drones are not Lethal
Despite what you may have heard, the majority of drones in use are not armed and do not have the ability to drop bombs. Surveillance has been the main objective since their creation and it is still what drones do best.
4. Drones are Not that Autonomous
Although some would love to present drones as autonomous flying machines, they are truly not. In fact, around 168 people are necessary to operate a single drone! The upside however is that no boots are required on the ground, as drones can be operated from distant locations.
3. Drone Killings are Frequent, Yet Accountability is Still a Problem
The absolute secrecy surrounding the US kill lists is stunning. Nobody really knows who has given the green light, and the public never knows who exactly is in charge of the program.
2. The US is Not Alone
The US is certainly the only country to use drones on foreign soil with high frequency, yet this does not mean that other nations don’t have access to this new technology. Several nations have lethal drones in their arsenal, while others are still developing this new weapons system, which the US has perfected.
1. Drones Are a Reality, Whether You Like It or Not
Some treat drones as a thing of the future, something that has been tried, but has not fully gained a foothold in the military, yet nothing could be further from reality. The amount of unmanned aircraft already accounts for over 30% of all US aircraft, while the military budget for drone production and development is expected to double over the next ten years. One thing is clear with regards to the drone program: there is no going back.
