The first powered drones were used during World War I, often as targets. Over time their level of sophistication and usage has increased. Since 9/11 military drones have become more sophisticated and their use more widespread. Military drone are primarily used for reconnaissance, surveillance and as weapons platforms. The use of drones as weapons for targeted killings outside of conventional battlefield situation has raised serious ethical issues.
Drone Warfare and Lawfare in a Post-Heroic Age by
In the past decade, the United States has rapidly deployed militarized drones in theaters of war for surveillance as well as targeted killing. The swiftness with which drones were created and put into service has outstripped the development of an associated framework for discussing them, with the result that basic conversations about these lethal weapons have been stymied for a lack of a shared rhetoric. Marouf Hasian's Drone Warfare and Lawfare in a Post-Heroic Age fills that critical gap. With a growing fleet of more than 7,500 drones, these emblems of what one commentary has dubbed "push-button, bloodless wars" comprise as much as a third of the US aircraft force. Their use is hotly debated, some championing air power that doesn't risk the lives of pilots, others arguing that drone strikes encourage cycles of violence against the United States, its allies, and interests. In this landmark study, Hasian illuminates both the discursive and visual argumentative strategies that drone supporters and critics both rely on. He comprehensively reviews how advocates and detractors parse and re-contextualize drone images, casualty figures, governmental "white papers," NGO reports, documentaries, and blogs to support their points of view. He unpacks the ideological reflexes and assumptions behind these legal, ethical, and military arguments. Visiting both formal legal language used by legislators, political leaders, and policy makers as well as public, vernacular commentaries about drones, Drone Warfare and Lawfare in a Post-Heroic Age dispassionately illuminates the emotive, cognitive, and behavioral strategies partisans use to influence public and official opinion.
Kill Chain by
An essential and page-turning narrative on the history of drone warfare by the acclaimed author of Rumsfeld, exploring how this practice emerged, who made it happen, and the real consequences of targeted killing Assassination by drone is a subject of deep and enduring fascination. Yet few understand how and why this has become our principal way of waging war.Kill Chain uncovers the real and extraordinary story; its origins in long-buried secret programs, the breakthroughs that made drone operations possible, the ways in which the technology works and, despite official claims, does not work. Taking the reader inside the well-guarded world of national security, the book reveals the powerful interests - military, CIA and corporate - that have led the drive to kill individuals by remote control. Most importantly of all, the book describes what has really happened when the theories underpinning the strategy -- and the multi-billion dollar contracts they spawn -- have been put to the test. Drawing on sources deep in the military and intelligence establishments, Andrew Cockburn'sKill Chain unveils the true effects, as demonstrated by bloody experience, of assassination warfare, a revelation that readers will find surprising as well as shocking.
Predator by
The untold story of the birth of the Predator drone, a wonder weapon that transformed the American military, reshaped modern warfare, and sparked a revolution in aviation The creation of the first weapon in history whose operators can stalk and kill an enemy on the other side of the globe was far more than clever engineering. As Richard Whittle shows inPredator, it was one of the most profound developments in the history of military and aerospace technology. Once considered fragile toys, drones were long thought to be of limited utility. The Predator itself was resisted at nearly every turn by the military establishment, but a few iconoclasts refused to see this new technology smothered at birth. The remarkable cast of characters responsible for developing the Predator includes a former Israeli inventor who turned his Los Angeles garage into a drone laboratory, two billionaire brothers marketing a futuristic weapon to help combat Communism, a pair of fighter pilots willing to buck their white-scarf fraternity, a cunning Pentagon operator nicknamed "Snake," and a secretive Air Force organization known as Big Safari. When an Air Force team unleashed the first lethal drone strikes in 2001 for the CIA, the military's view of drones changed nearly overnight. Based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews,Predator reveals the dramatic inside story of the creation of a revolutionary weapon that forever changed the way we wage war and opened the door to a new age in aviation.
Drone Warfare by
Drone Warfare is the first comprehensive analysis of one of the fastest growing--and most secretive--fronts in global conflict: the rise of robot warfare. In 2000, the Pentagon had fewer than fifty aerial drones; ten years later, it had a fleet of nearly 7,500, and the US Air Force now trains more drone "pilots" than bomber and fighter pilots combined. Drones are already a $5 billion business in the US alone. The human cost? Drone strikes have killed more than 200 children alone in Pakistan and Yemen. CODEPINK and Global Exchange cofounder Medea Benjamin provides the first extensive analysis of who is producing the drones, where they are being used, who controls these unmanned planes, and what are the legal and moral implications of their use. In vivid, readable style, this book also looks at what activists, lawyers, and scientists across the globe are doing to ground these weapons. Benjamin argues that the assassinations we are carrying out from the air will come back to haunt us when others start doing the same thing--to us.
Drone Warfare by
Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2015 One of the most significant and controversial developments in contemporary warfare is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly referred to as drones. In the last decade, US drone strikes have more than doubled and their deployment is transforming the way wars are fought across the globe. But how did drones claim such an important role in modern military planning? And how are they changing military strategy and the ethics of war and peace? What standards might effectively limit their use? Should there even be a limit? Drone warfare is the first book to engage fully with the political, legal, and ethical dimensions of UAVs. In it, political scientist Sarah Kreps and philosopher John Kaag discuss the extraordinary expansion of drone programs from the Cold War to the present day and their so-called effectiveness in conflict zones. Analysing the political implications of drone technology for foreign and domestic policy as well as public opinion, the authors go on to examine the strategic position of the United States - by far the world s most prolific employer of drones - to argue that US military supremacy could be used to enshrine a new set of international agreements and treaties aimed at controlling the use of UAVs in the future.
Drone Debate by
The U.S. government s covert use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to hunt and kill suspected terrorists outside of conventional war zones is occurring on a massive scale. Over the last nine years, the United States is credibly reported to have carried out at least 360 covert drone strikes in Northwest Pakistan alone, killing 2,783 people, including many civilians. Strikes have also been carried out in Yemen, Somalia, and Libya. In fact, the use of drones under President Obama has come to define the War on Terror. Such strikes have generated growing attention and controversy. John Brennan, CIA Director, has claimed that the strikes are legal, ethical, and wise, but in a March 2013 report, UN Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns suggested that they may constitute war crimes. Many key aspects of the program need to be examined, including its scope (with several thousand people already killed), the means by which terrorists are identified (including pattern-of-life targeting), the rules of engagement under which it is conducted, the actual number of civilian casualties, the impact on communities living under drones, the magnitude of international and domestic opposition, and the specific case that the U.S. could offer for the strikes permissibility under international law. The book aims to answer such questions by offering a thorough investigation of the where, why, how, and when of the United States' use of UAVs. Beginning with a historical overview of the use of drones in warfare, it then addresses whether targeted killings operations are strategically wise, whether they are permissible under international law, and the related ethical issues. It also looks at the political factors behind the use of drones, including domestic and global attitudes toward their use and potential issues of proliferation and escalation. Finally, the use of drones by other countries such as Israel and China is examined. Each chapter features a case study that highlights particular incidents and patterns of operation in specific regions, including Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, and Libya and strike types (signature strikes, personality strikes, etc.)."
Military Robots and Drones by
This book provides an insightful introduction to the most important field of military innovation for the 21st century--robotic and drone weaponry. * A chronology of important events in robotic technology * A detailed bibliography on the latest sources related to this innovative technology
Uninhabited Air Vehicles by
U.S. Air Force (USAF) planners have envisioned that uninhabited air vehicles (UAVs), working in concert with inhabited vehicles, will become an integral part of the future force structure. Current plans are based on the premise that UAVs have the potential to augment, or even replace, inhabited aircraft in a variety of missions. However, UAV technologies must be better understood before they will be accepted as an alternative to inhabited aircraft on the battlefield. The U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) requested that the National Research Council, through the National Materials Advisory Board and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, identify long-term research opportunities for supporting the development of technologies for UAVs. The objectives of the study were to identify technological developments that would improve the performance and reliability of oegeneration-after-next UAVs at lower cost and to recommend areas of fundamental research in materials, structures, and aeronautical technologies. The study focused on innovations in technology that would oeleapfrog current technology development and would be ready for scaling-up in the post-2010 time frame (i.e., ready for use on aircraft by 2025).
Drones, Surveillance, and Targeted Killings by
This timely anthology examines the use of drones by the military, law enforcement, border patrol, and civilians. Articles condoning the use of drones in military engagements abroad are balanced with reportage of civilian deaths and resulting creation of more terrorists. Pieces touting the effectiveness of drones in domestic surveillance are countered by assertions that they violate Americans' civil liberties. Opinions about the pros and cons of drone use in securing our borders, as well as the potential benefits and dangers of their commercial use, will add to readers' deep understanding of this complex issue.
Armed Drones and the Ethics of War by
This book assesses the ethical implications of using armed unmanned aerial vehicles ('hunter-killer drones') in contemporary conflicts. The American way of war is trending away from the heroic and towards the post-heroic, driven by a political preference for air-powered management of strategic risks and the reduction of physical risk to US personnel. The recent use of drones in the War on Terror has demonstrated the power of this technology to transcend time and space, but there has been relatively little debate in the United States and elsewhere over the embrace of what might be regarded as politically desirable and yet morally worrisome: risk-free killing. Arguably, the absence of a relationship of mutual risk between putative combatants poses a fundamental challenge to the status of war as something morally distinguishable from other forms of violence, and it also undermines the professional virtue of the warrior as a courageous risk-taker. This book considers the use of armed drones in the light of ethical principles that are intended to guard against unjust increases in the incidence and lethality of armed conflict. The evidence and arguments presented indicate that, in some respects, the use of armed drones is to be welcomed as an ethically superior mode of warfare. Over time, however, their continued and increased use is likely to generate more challenges than solutions, and perhaps do more harm than good. This book will be of much interest to students of the ethics of war, airpower, counter-terrorism, strategic studies and security studies in general.
Unmanned by
Drones have become the controversial new weapon of choice for the US military abroad. Unmanned details the causes and deadly consequences of this terrifying new development in warfare, and explores the implications for international law and global peace.Ann Rogers and John Hill argue that drones represent the first truly globalised technology of war. The book shows how unmanned systems are changing not simply how wars are fought, but the meaning of conflict itself.Providing an unparalleled account of new forms of 21st century imperial warfare, Unmanned shows how drone systems dissolve the conventional obstacles of time and space that have traditionally shaped conflict in the international system. It considers the possibility that these weapons will become normalised in global conflict, raising the spectre of new, unpredictable and unaccountable forms of warfare.
Attack of the Drones by
Nowhere in the world of military technology is the transition from science fiction to science fact more astounding than in the dark world of autonomous aerial combat vehicles. Before there were autonomous war machines, there were unmanned war machines. After a brief history of unmanned aerial vehicles, we reach the autumn of 2001. At that time, unmanned, remotely-piloted reconnaissance aircraft were first adapted for offensive combat operations. However, even at that time, work was already progressing on the first generation of combat aircraft that could both fly And fight without crews.
The Morality of Drone Warfare and the Politics of Regulation by
This book discusses the moral and legal issues relating to military drones, focusing on how these machines should be judged according to the principles of just war theory. The author analyses existing drones, like the Predator and Reaper, but also evaluates the many types of drones in development. The book presents drones as not only morally justifiable but having the potential to improve compliance with the principles of just war and international law. Realizing this potential would depend on developing a sound regulatory framework, which the book helps to develop by considering what steps governments and military forces should take to promote ethical drone use. It also critically evaluates the arguments against drones to show which should be abandoned and which raise valid concerns that can inform regulations.
See It Shoot It by
An illuminating study tracing the evolution of drone technology and counterterrorism policy from the Reagan to the Obama administrations This eye-opening study uncovers the history of the most important instrument of U.S. counterterrorism today: the armed drone. It reveals that, contrary to popular belief, the CIA's covert drone program is not a product of 9/11. Rather, it is the result of U.S. counterterrorism practices extending back to an influential group of policy makers in the Reagan administration. Tracing the evolution of counterterrorism policy and drone technology from the fallout of Iran-Contra and the CIA's "Eagle Program" prototype in the mid-1980s to the emergence of al-Qaeda, Fuller shows how George W. Bush and Obama built upon or discarded strategies from the Reagan and Clinton eras as they responded to changes in the partisan environment, the perceived level of threat, and technological advances. Examining a range of counterterrorism strategies, he reveals why the CIA's drones became the United States' preferred tool for pursuing the decades-old goal of preemptively targeting anti-American terrorists around the world.
Drones and Targeted Killings by
The book addresses the key dilemmas around the use of force in national security (or counter terrorism) policy and human rights. The anthology offers an overview of the targeted killing program, the decision to go to war in Afghanistan, and the choices involved, as well as looking to the challenges ahead in the use of force in the fight against terrorism. It emphasizes future dilemmas/concerns/ issues, and human rights based approaches to remedy past wrongs and promote rights through the long term.
Death by Drones by 
Unmanned Combat Air Systems by
The U.S. Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System aircraft currently in development will transform naval aviation, extending its reach while dramatically reducing its cost, according to naval weapons expert Norman Friedman. In this his latest weapons book, he describes the new X-47B and shows how these new aircraft offer tactics that manned aircraft cannot duplicate. He calls the X-47B a natural extension of the evolving networked form of drone warfare that can be used for a variety of missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and time sensitive targeting. Friedman makes the important point that an unmanned attack aircraft can also be seen as an extension of some current missiles that interact with remote human controllers. The book includes an extensive appendix describing the world's military unmanned aircraft.
Unmanned Combat Air Systems in Future Warfare by
Control of the air is the foundation for all conventional military operations against an adversary with an air defence capability. In future warfare, will it be possible for Unmanned Combat Air Systems to undertake the tasks and accept most of the risks that, until now, have been the lot of military aviators?