Armed Drones Research Paper

The first “armed” drones were built to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. Drones are mainly manufactured in USA and Israel. The first recorded use of attack drones occurred on July 15, 1849 when the Habsburg Austrian Empire launched 200 pilotless balloons armed with bombs against the revolution-minded citizens of Venice. According to a July 18, 2013 survey, 61% of Americans supported drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Support spanned the political divide, including Republicans (69%), independents (60%), and Democrats (59%). The first targeted drone strike by the United States occurred on Feb. 4, 2002 in Afghanistan when a CIA Predator drone fired on a group they believed included Osama bin Laden. The targets, all killed, were civilians gathering scrap metal. The most common drone used for attack purposes, General Atomics' MQ-9 Reaper, has a range of 3,682 miles, an operational altitude of 50,000 ft, and a maximum flight time of 27 hours.Civilians accounted for 8-17% of all deaths from US drones in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. So read on to learn more about drones strikes. …show more content…
Drone strikes are cheaper than engaging in ground or manned aerial combat. Drone strikes are legal under international law. Drone strikes are legal under US law. Drones limit the scope and scale of military action.Drone strikes are subject to a strict review process and congressional oversight. Drone strikes are carried out with the collaboration and encouragement of local governments, and make those countries safer.The United States cannot risk falling behind the rest of the world in the development of drone technologies.Drone pilots have a lower risk for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than pilots of manned aircraft and other battlefield