Drones are becoming our military’s primary weapon in the fight against terrorism. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, otherwise known as drones, are remotely controlled from a long distance. They are usually equipped with a camera and also be armed. Drones are proven to be cost effective, and kill fewer innocent civilians than other military options. Drone technology has been around for almost six decades, during WWII. Present day drone technology evolved in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are designed for surveillance and targeted killings, which allows the United States to carry out certain missions without risking the lives of military personnel. Today, the government uses drones both for weapons and surveillance. Using drones …show more content…
Drones use smaller bombs than F-16’s and have more precise strikes. “ And compared with a 500- pound bomb dropped from an F-16, the grenade like warheads carried by most drones create smaller, more precise blast zones that decrease the risk of unexpected structural damage and casualties” (Brookings). Instead of sending troops or a fighter jet in to kill the terrorists, drones can more effectively kill them without destroying cities and killing innocent people. Also, drones target people on a “kill list” and are capable of following after the group and killing them without damage. In the article it states, “Drone strikes typically target individuals who have been placed on a “kill list” by the administration in a secret process that is not subject to oversight or transparency”(Understanding Drones). Drones can target and follow the person or group they want to kill instead of just blowing up a whole area, which means more civilian casualties. Furthermore, the United States’ allies support drone strikes because of fewer casualties. In the text it states, “It is also telling that drones have earned the backing, albeit secret, of foreign governments” (Brookings). U.S drone strikes help countries such as Pakistan and Yemen by targeting common enemies. Drones cause fewer casualties and damage than other military
The use of drones has brought an uproarious debate among both the people of the United States and the people of the world regarding whether or not drones should be sold and used by the public. Drones were first created for military use to scout and attack terrorists who plan to bring havoc to the United States of America. Ever since the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, funding for the use of drones sky-rocketed because people came to the realization that there was a need to formulate different methods of security and defense. Besides the use of security and defense, people have been developing new uses for drones. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently issuing rules outlining how they can be used. Ever since drones have hit the shelves for consumers to buy, more and
Drones are a better alternative to traditional methods of war because they kill less civilians, are legal under international law, and also that they do not create more terrorists than they kill. These facts will prove that older methods of war such as mortars, and bombs pale in comparison to the drone and the effect they have and will continue to have in the war on terror.
Picture your dearest family member out in the battlefield, struggling for dear life. Only being supported by a jug of water and a rifle until a drone appears with medical supplies or reinforcements. Every year technology advances at an increasingly hypersonic pace. The world has gone from the use of bulky telephones to six-inch touch screens. Soon the world will come from using innocent lives to fight for our country to the use of drones in warfare. Thousands of lives each year are cast away in order to protect our country. Drones could be the answer to finding terrorists in Pakistan or Yemen and stop them before they attack. The United States should continue the use of drones in warfare.
One reason why drones are such an obvious future trend is they weaken terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, ISIS, and the Taliban. During President Barak Obama’s term, an estimated 3,300 terrorists have been killed including 50 senior leaders of Al Qaeda and the Taliban (Byman 32-43). By March 2011 33 Al Qaeda and Taliban members killed and from 1100-1800 insurgent fighters (Sluka 89). Three hundred and fifty drone strikes have been made since 2004 (Cronin 44-45). Among the terrorist casualties, one stands out. A Drone strike killed Al-Shabab, killer of 74 in a soccer stadium bombing in Uganda (Klaidman 38-44). A Drone could have prevented the bombing of the soccer stadium before it happened, but the US called off a drone strike because of the
Drones are wartime weapons the United States government uses to fight the War on Terror. Officially known as unmanned aerial vehicles, this type of aircraft plays a vital role in protecting the United States, as well as many other countries around the world. Although there are multiple drones owned by the United States government, the MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1B Predator drones are the most predominantly used drones; General Atomics Aeronautical Systems manufacture both aircrafts.
Efficiency in war comes with immunity, “Ideas about killing from ever greater distance, with ever increasing force and with ever more protection for those involved are as old as warfare itself (Shane Riza. Two-Dimensional).” Modern day remote drones are able to neutralize targets more efficiently than ever before, they can be used to find a specific target or targets are take them out from the sky with a single missile instead of several men and hundreds of bullets. Drones are controlled from bases typically in Nevada where the men and women controlling the drones can control the drone’s aim and movements my centimeters. Making them very accurate and precise when it comes to targeting specific individuals or groups. Drones are the cheapest sector of the government spendings in the United States. According the the analysts/writers of ProCon.org, the U.S. military’s drone program only makes up about one percent of the annual defense budget, approximately $5 billion. Compared to a single F-35 JSF (Joint Strike Force) program costs about $9.7 billion and costs anywhere from $18,000 to $169,000 an hour to operate, which is six-to-42 times more expensive. Even with all of the benefits and efficiencies to drones, they are still legal under international law and the laws of
In the United States, domestic drones are gaining popularity and have the potential to do many things, good or bad. The drones are publicly available for a very cheap cost and are capable installing software or devices that take live video streaming, video recording, have infrared cameras, heat sensors, GPS, sensors that detect movement, automated license plate readers, and, in the close future, facial recognition technology linked to the FBI’s biological database. These capabilities make drones either a very real threat or one of the best law enforcement technologies out
First, we have heard that the new of the united states presence talking about the Middle East, you will hear a topic very frequently worry with drone recognition. The government will be involved in the process of trying to use drone technology in warfare. We have read information about the usages of drone missiles attacks on bad people with was done by drones. In warfare, the usage of drone technology will be increasing. “Now drones are not gathering information, but are used to operate in combat “(“The uav”, 2012, P1). With the use of advances in technology quickly being developed, companies are now starting to develop an opportunity to size them. They are starting to build their own things to use for was but also for people in today’s world (Wolfgang, 2012, P1). Next, drones which are known as UAVs (Un-manned Aerial Vehicles), are vehicles that do not need a person physically being there to use drones.
Do you like the idea of being able to fly drones in order to target your enemies? Well, the government surely does. The U.S. government is starting to use pilotless drones instead of actual military pilots in order to collect data and fight against terrorist activity in the middle east. Some believe that drones will create more problems rather than help and some believe that drones will help reduce terrorist activity significantly
Not only do drones decrease the total amount of civilian casualties, drones help to keep our soldiers out of harm’s way, which saves the US billions of dollars annually. Drones are remotely controlled from military bases in the US, and the actual drones are launched from bases in other allied countries. This minimalizes the risk of death and/or injury that may occur if traditional pilots and aircraft are used. Many terrorist groups operate out of remote regions that are very hard to access and they have many risks such a tribal war, IEDs, snipers and weather. Drones also help to prevent soldiers from PTSD and other post- war symptoms. Only 4% of drone pilots are at high risk for PTSD, compared to the 12-17% of soldiers returning from active duty. Drones eliminate all these risks without ever putting a soldier on the ground.
All they see on the screen is some kind of dot which is their target. Even if drone had a surveillance camera, it would be difficult to see what you are attacking on. The drones are causing more collateral damage than or equal to the real terrorists. Drones are considered terrorists by people, whom drones attacked in their homeland. We define terrorists as people who try to take away innocents lives to make a point; how is military using the drones different than that? If we try to compare them, they have much in common. They both kill people who they are ordered to kill and anyone whoever comes in their way. They cause more collateral damage and take the lives of innocent civilians, when carrying out the missions. Both sides are trying to make a point which is “we are stronger so fear us.” According to the study of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Under the Obama administration, drone strikes killed 2400 people, 10 percent of whom were innocent civilians. (Serle) President Bush only used fewer than 50 strikes but President Obama used more than 400 in last four years. It means out of 2400, 240 people had nothing to do with anything they were just in the way. A study by Brookings shows the only reason Obama administration relies on drones is because they work and are low risk. (Byman) The machine doesn’t understand what to destroy and what not, it destroys anything in its
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, drones are commonly defined as an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control or onboard computers. Drones have various uses that go from delivering pizza and packages, spying, farming, fighting in the war on terrorism, studying hurricanes, helping police fight crime and so much more. It is important to note that not all drones were first implemented with bombs and devices of mass destruction and still today, many drones do not bomb. According to an article published by TopYaps, “This technology hasn’t been confined to
Drones have several advantages over manned aircraft: they can be flown for up to thirty hours at a stretch without needing to land, can track militants over remote and rugged terrain without risk to their pilots or ground troops, and can pinpoint and strike targets, reducing the time lag between identification and response. These attributes make them especially effective in unconventional warfare, such as counterinsurgency operations in Iraq or the pursuit of al-Qaeda militants into remote and inaccessible areas, such as the Pakistani tribal areas. Drones are also cheaper than manned aircraft.
Three-thousand deaths have resulted in drone attacks and only 1.5 percent of these deaths were “high profile” personnel. Out of these deaths about 20 percent were either civilian or children. This statistic only accounts for the known drone attacks since the government keeps information of these killing secured (Galliott, Jai, and Bradley Strawser). When drones were first invented its intensions were mainly for surveillance. Over the years they have been modified and upgraded to perform tasks that can even match manned aerial vehicles which leads to the first argument for drones. With the use of drones it limits the amount of soldiers in dangerous situations. Drones are controlled by a pilot that sits in a safe command room with a high
public knows about drones is through government use.The technically accurate name for a drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV for short. This name helps define drones as unmanned or not piloted by an person. Furthermore, they are aerial vehicles or flying aircrafts. Drones are in terms, scaled up model airplanes that serve a tactical purpose rather than just for enjoyment of flying a remote controlled aircraft that are known to build and fly. Drones can be remote controlled by a pilot and/or controlled by a computer. In other words, drones can be programmed to carry out any type of action without direct human control. With just the name and definition of drones being so wide and confusing, it is no wonder that people are also confused by the advantages and disadvantages of