Unmanned Aviation Vehicles And The Department Of Homeland Security

Since the events of 9/11, drone strikes have become a tool for the United States as it fights a global war against terrorist organizations. The advantages and disadvantages of this particular counterterrorism option continue to be debated. Instead of sending in warfighters to achieve specific objectives, many argue that unmanned combat aerial vehicles provide the U.S. military and government with low-risk and low-cost options as it engages in military operations in other regions of the world. Compared with manned fighter aircraft, some of these unmanned vehicles are able to fly longer without stopping, which affords the U.S. with better intelligence collection and targeting opportunities. Even if the aircraft were shot down, there is not

Over 100 years ago, when humanity looked for new places to conquer, two men looked to the skies. Wilbur and Orville Wright built the first working motor airplane, and after that day, the world took a huge interest in aviation, causing many leading pioneers and innovators in the aerospace field to emerge, revolutionizing the way we look at the skies.

Menacing spy craft... unmanned aerial vehicles... and missile laden predators. These are the images that come to mind when the word "drone" is spoken. Taken to new heights during the Global War on Terror, military drones have struck fear into the hearts of America's enemies. Now the U.S. government is starting to look inward toward its next target: the American people. Already starting along the US/Mexico border, big brother is indiscriminately watching whole neighborhoods via high tech zoom and heat imaging technology. There is even a debate in congress as to whether it is lawful for an American citizen to be killed by a missile firing drone. These actions and debates have caused legitimate concerns for the American people in regards to

In September of 2011, under the direction of the Obama Administration and with the coordination of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.), the United States carried out a successful drone strike against Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Yemeni cleric. Though the strike would bring much controversy from all areas of the U.S. political spectrum, the U.S. adoption of targeted killings through the use of combat drones became a staple

As the percent of terrorist rise every day, drones are deemed successful to lower the rates such as in the cases of Qaed Salim Sinan, Nek Muhammad, and Al-Awlaki. November 2002, the pilot of the Predator watched an overpopulated truck driving and only to realize it contained Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi who is “ the most wanted man in Yeman” and the United States wanted him dead due to him being “the mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the destroyer U.S.S Cole” which killed “seventeen sailors” while refueling and this was the perfect chance (Mazzetti 85). After getting authorization the CIA fired the missile at the truck and killed every person in there and “Qaed Salim Sinan al-Hareth was eventually identified” dead (Mazzetti 87). This is the whole new start of the killing machine on the war of

The brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, possibly the two most renowned representatives of American aeronautics, were the first to experience controlled, continuous flight of a powered airplane in history. Despite being autodidactic in the area of engineering, the duo proved to be extraordinarily successful, testing and refining their strategies to overcome successive challenges that arose with the building of a plane (Crouch 226). The two were so far ahead in the race for flight that they even anticipated and found solutions to problems that more learned scientists could not have even begun to predict. Successful, man-controlled, powered flight was a fundamental turning point in history; it transformed the methods of how the United States

Technology is changing the way humans complete certain tasks. Whether it be communicating with others, or using navigation tools for directions, technology affects everyone in some way or another. In fact, technology is changing the way our government fights wars with other countries and terrorist groups. Drones have become one of the most sought after pieces of military equipment in the last decade. They have become one of the many important tools our government uses for counterterrorism policies in the United States. Recently, these defense mechanisms have received a great deal of public attention, which has stirred up much controversy. Many people, including government officials and politicians, question the necessity and ethics of drones

Drones are not harmless robots, they can be used to drop bombs and even deliver drugs. In May, a man was arrested for trying to fly his drone over the White House fence and another man was arrested last week for flying one into the U.S. open (CNN). Drones could start to be used as suicide bombers, they have the camera all that is needed is a timed explosive. The dangers that drones pose

When determining whether or not drone attacks should be initiated, the attacks should be approved and have an legitimate reason for carrying out the attack. Everyday drones are used to pin-point "suspicious activity" as well as daily activities around many communities. According to the article half of the 170 strikes were classified as signature strikes. "...signature strikes against targets outside of named kill list, targeting individuals based on their pattern of life or suspicious behavior". Signature strikes should be reprimanded to have full approval when deciding whether or not someone might be a threat. The article states "The administration's first known Predator strike occurred Feb. 4,2002 in Afghanistan, when a CIA Predator drone

The war on terror is a never-ending battle. The United States has been in many wars since the day our country was founded. There has been an estimated 651,008 deaths in war battle, 1.2 million deaths during war. An estimated 42 million service men and women have joined the armed forces in protecting our country (Science Line). Every day our state and policy makers are finding new ways to protect the 42 million service men and women. In the early 1990s’ the U.S created the Predator Program (Woods). This program allows air force men and women to fly unoccupied aircrafts in remote locations for intelligence gathering as well as executing high profile terrorist networks. This program protects thousands of service

military’s preferred surveillance tool. It was a Predator drone that located Osama Bin Laden in the hills of Afghanistan in 2000 and in the years that followed, national security officials began asking if we could attach missiles to these same UAVs.

September 11 attacks marked an unprecedented development and advancement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones. Because of their technological capabilities and strategic advantages, drones have been used by the United States government as one of the main weapons in ‘war against terrorism.’ An unmanned aircraft was first used by Elmer Sperry, creator of the gyroscope, when sinking a German captured battleship, but its usage for military purposes began after 1985 (Shaw, 2012, p. 1490). As the United States initiated the use drones against Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces, vast criticism sparked throughout the world questioning its legality under the international law. In this paper, I will focus on the

After 9/11, the U.S started to implement policies intended to combat terrorism in hopes of preventing further attacks and bring those who were involved to justice. One such policy that the U.S started was to implement the heavy use of drones- unmanned aircraft capable of bombing specific targets. These drones would be controlled by a pilot remotely from the U.S, thousands of miles from where the strikes were taking place. The U.S used these drones to assassinate suspects who were believed to have been linked to terrorism as well as various targets that were deemed to be associated with terrorism, such as weapons factories. Currently, however, there is a debate on the legality, morality, and effectiveness of drones. One side sees the drones as effective at destroying targets while at the same time, minimizing civilian casualties. On the other hand, the other side believes that drones are reliable for

While the debate over the use of drones for counterterrorism efforts has intensified, the arguments, both for and against their usage, although informed by plausible logics, are supported primarily by anecdotal evidence and not by systematic empirical investigation. This lack of attention is unfortunate: unmanned aerial vehicles, and

Eleven years ago, the United States Air Force launched a missile from a drone for the first time at a test range in the Nevada desert (Drone Test) . The use of armed drones has risen dramatically since 2009. Now drone strikes are almost a daily occurrence. In 2011 the use of drones continued to rise with strikes in (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia. Proponents of armed drones argue that their ability to watch and wait, with their highly accurate sensors and cameras gives increased control over when and where to strike its both increasing the chances of success and