The U.S. Navy's F-35C fighter © AP
WASHINGTON -- Say the word "drone,"
and most people imagine radio-
operated helicopters, or else
unmanned, remotely piloted aircraft
shootin
g missiles on command by
operators half a world away.
Drones are now a staple of the U.S.
war on terror, and they are becoming
such a normal part of modern warfare
that the U.S. military is seriously
considering unmanned aircraft for its
next generation of fighter planes.
But taking the pilot out of the plane
does not take humans out of the
equation, and ethical and
humanitarian issues surround the
growing adoption of military drones.
Rapid escalation
The new high-tech F-35C "should be,
and almost certainly will be, the last
manned strike fighter aircraft the
Department of the Navy will ever buy
or fly." Thus spoke U.S. Navy
Secretary Ray Mabus in a speech in
April, painting a clear picture of the
future of air power. "Unmanned
systems, particularly autonomous ones,
have to be the new normal in ever-
increasing areas," he insisted.
Unmanned, remotely piloted
aircraft are taking on a rapidly
expanding role in the U.S. military.
Drones can fly for tens of hours on
each mission and they are relatively
inexpensive to operate compared to
piloted planes. Plus they do not put
pilots in harm's way.
Most drone missions are flown for
surveillance and information
gathering, but they are also a mainstay
of the air campaign in Iraq against the
extremist Islamic State group.
The U.S. Air Force already has some
1,000 drone pilots, and it says it needs
to add 300 more pilots every year.
Stressful day job
The demand for drones exploded in
2008. Before then, the remotely piloted
aircraft were used primarily for
surveillance. But that year, the U.S.
under then-President George W. Bush
began flying large numbers of drone
missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere
to bomb bases of the global militant
Islamist organization al-Qaida.
Although current U.S. President
Barack Obama criticized the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan, he has
nevertheless continued and expanded
the use of drones.
Out in the desert of Nevada sits
Creech Air Force Base, home to a
command and control facility where
pilots operate drones flying missions
around the world.
Every day the pilots drive to the
base, sit down in front of a console, and
operate drones flying in places like
Iraq more than 10,000km away. The
pilots sit there watching satellite feeds
of images captured by the drones to
conduct surveillance and to aim and
fire missiles. Then, at the end of the
day, they drive back home to their
friends and families.
As mundane as it sounds, this
lifestyle places a heavy psychological
burden on the drone pilots.
Continually firing missiles at targets
during shifts that last for over 10
hours is extremely stressful. Many
pilots become plagued by feelings of
guilt for all the killing they cause from
afar with a simple press of a button,
and some even suffer from post-
traumatic stress disorder.
With 240 operators transferring out
of the position in any given year, the
U.S. Air Force faces a chronic shortage
of drone pilots.
Addressing the issue, Air Force
Secretary Deborah Lee James
approved an increase in incentive pay
from about $600 a month to $1,500 a
month for operators of remotely
piloted aircraft. But there is still a
dearth of applicants to fill all the
needed positions.
The U.S. military plans to increase
the use of drones considerably, and
this could significantly reshape the
war on terror.
But this strategy of attacking with
unmanned aircraft is being criticized
as unethical. It is difficult to tell
terrorists from innocent civilians with
just the video feeds from drones, and
civilians are falling victim to the
bombings. Some reports peg this
collateral damage at anywhere from
10% to 30% of all deaths caused in
drone strikes.
Critics have deeply rooted opinions
about this on humanitarian grounds.
The use of drones can be associated
with a disregard for human life, and it
may even represent a violation of
international law.
WASHINGTON -- Say the word "drone,"
and most people imagine radio-
operated helicopters, or else
unmanned, remotely piloted aircraft
shootin
g missiles on command by
operators half a world away.
Drones are now a staple of the U.S.
war on terror, and they are becoming
such a normal part of modern warfare
that the U.S. military is seriously
considering unmanned aircraft for its
next generation of fighter planes.
But taking the pilot out of the plane
does not take humans out of the
equation, and ethical and
humanitarian issues surround the
growing adoption of military drones.
Rapid escalation
The new high-tech F-35C "should be,
and almost certainly will be, the last
manned strike fighter aircraft the
Department of the Navy will ever buy
or fly." Thus spoke U.S. Navy
Secretary Ray Mabus in a speech in
April, painting a clear picture of the
future of air power. "Unmanned
systems, particularly autonomous ones,
have to be the new normal in ever-
increasing areas," he insisted.
Unmanned, remotely piloted
aircraft are taking on a rapidly
expanding role in the U.S. military.
Drones can fly for tens of hours on
each mission and they are relatively
inexpensive to operate compared to
piloted planes. Plus they do not put
pilots in harm's way.
Most drone missions are flown for
surveillance and information
gathering, but they are also a mainstay
of the air campaign in Iraq against the
extremist Islamic State group.
The U.S. Air Force already has some
1,000 drone pilots, and it says it needs
to add 300 more pilots every year.
Stressful day job
The demand for drones exploded in
2008. Before then, the remotely piloted
aircraft were used primarily for
surveillance. But that year, the U.S.
under then-President George W. Bush
began flying large numbers of drone
missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere
to bomb bases of the global militant
Islamist organization al-Qaida.
Although current U.S. President
Barack Obama criticized the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan, he has
nevertheless continued and expanded
the use of drones.
Out in the desert of Nevada sits
Creech Air Force Base, home to a
command and control facility where
pilots operate drones flying missions
around the world.
Every day the pilots drive to the
base, sit down in front of a console, and
operate drones flying in places like
Iraq more than 10,000km away. The
pilots sit there watching satellite feeds
of images captured by the drones to
conduct surveillance and to aim and
fire missiles. Then, at the end of the
day, they drive back home to their
friends and families.
As mundane as it sounds, this
lifestyle places a heavy psychological
burden on the drone pilots.
Continually firing missiles at targets
during shifts that last for over 10
hours is extremely stressful. Many
pilots become plagued by feelings of
guilt for all the killing they cause from
afar with a simple press of a button,
and some even suffer from post-
traumatic stress disorder.
With 240 operators transferring out
of the position in any given year, the
U.S. Air Force faces a chronic shortage
of drone pilots.
Addressing the issue, Air Force
Secretary Deborah Lee James
approved an increase in incentive pay
from about $600 a month to $1,500 a
month for operators of remotely
piloted aircraft. But there is still a
dearth of applicants to fill all the
needed positions.
The U.S. military plans to increase
the use of drones considerably, and
this could significantly reshape the
war on terror.
But this strategy of attacking with
unmanned aircraft is being criticized
as unethical. It is difficult to tell
terrorists from innocent civilians with
just the video feeds from drones, and
civilians are falling victim to the
bombings. Some reports peg this
collateral damage at anywhere from
10% to 30% of all deaths caused in
drone strikes.
Critics have deeply rooted opinions
about this on humanitarian grounds.
The use of drones can be associated
with a disregard for human life, and it
may even represent a violation of
international law.
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