Drones Research Paper

In August of 1849, a balloon armed with bombs took flight. This was the first recorded use of attack drones. The Habsburg Austrian Empire launched 200 balloons into the sky and was sent to bomb the city of Venice to keep from starting a revolution.(Gale) Reconnaissance balloons were also flown during the US Civil War in an attempt to capture intelligence information. As time passed, technological advances were made. A new kind of drone was created, one that could be electronically controlled. (Gale) Now in 2014, these drones have developed into large, solar-powered aircrafts that have saved many soldiers on the ground. The U.S military has contracted the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Company to produce the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, both of which are useful as a surveillance and an intelligence-gathering too, and are used to deploy missiles that target and eliminate threats to U.S security.(Gale) Although these drones have proved useful, there are many anti-drone supporters that believe that these drones have caused more civilian causalities than they prevent and allow the U.S to escape the horrors of war.

The military has used UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for decades, but in recent years, they have become a prominent tool in gathering sensitive information abroad. The Obama administration has heightened the use of drones in U.S efforts abroad particularly for targeted killings of high-profile militants, even in territories with which the U.S. is not technically at war. Supporters of drone use argue that UAVs aid in eliminating potential threats to U.S security and foreign threats without the risk of losing American lives. Drones not only provide a safe alternative to combat by delivering strikes with minimal collat...

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...e it would not violate any human rights laws.

Both sides can agree on one thing and that is the safety of the nations “boots on the ground”. The fact is that drones do help protect military personnel. Drones decrease the risk of injury or death substantially. Given the large outcry for an agreement between the two opposing parties, a drone court seems to be a rational approach. The process would be fair and precise; which are two aspects that most anyone could disagree to support. If targets are vetted first at a tribunal, the public would be more likely to accept the use of unmanned aircraft to carry out assassinations. With the increased use of drones in the military, there needs to be an agreement between civilians and military personnel alike. If there is no public support, drone funding will decrease, and U.S soldiers will once more be at risk on the ground.