Drone Use by the U.S. Military
The Debate Over Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
In the past 15 years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gone from battlefield novelty to a key component of the U.S. military’s ability to project power abroad. First in Kosovo, and then in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Northern Africa, and elsewhere, UAVs — or drones, as they’re commonly called — have been used in reconnaissance and attack roles in areas where the United States has been unable or unwilling to commit manned aircraft or on-the-ground forces. As with many new technologies when they are first put to military use, a debate has been brewing over the proper use of drones….
