Role of Drones in Shaping the Future of War - Research Paper

Introduction

Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles. They are controlled remotely in aerial systems, which are used to conduct lethal strikes. They are used to counter-terrorism as well to do surveillance and many other legal and non-legal operations. Friends Committee of National Legislation (FCNL) focuses mainly on the issues of U.S. drone policies and strikes of the lethal drones (Bataoel, G72). The CIA and the U.S. military use drones as one of conventional fighting in areas of the war and also to conduct specific killings of suspected terrorists either in or out of the war. T

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History of Drones

The thought that the technology popped into existence in recent years is held by many. However, the unmanned systems have been effectively utilized from the period of the First World War. When talking about the Sperry Automatic Airplane, it was built when some people had the idea that the airplanes that were controlled by pilots were a common thing so they suggested creating an automatic airplane.

To add on, there was one named the Kettering Bug that also had a nickname called an aerial torpedo. The idea to direct the automated planes to the region where they targeted to try and achieve there hopefully desire with no risk to the pilot, the idea runs till today. In the Second World War, the number of crewless aircraft being dispatched to hit targeted areas increased (Sparrow, 176). There was an improvement as now they loaded the crafts with a bomber carrying explosives. The planes would take off at a base and get controlled using radio to the target.

In the present day, sometime back was when the CIA and other bodies were trying to look for Osama bin Laden and gave a finding of what resembled him. When they were able to access an aircraft that was armed to the targeted area, Osama was nowhere to be found. That when they came up with the idea of having not only an observational aircraft but one that can attack at the same time and is unmanned.

Improvement of Technology of Military Drones

Among the most important things about the drones is not only there is no pilot crew on board, but the drones can remain in the air where they are targeting for more than twenty-four hours. The ability gives them a chance to understand the movement of the target and also know the people who are there. To add on, a human being is likely to remain there for eight hours while a plane can remain there for twenty-four hours. The twenty-four hours in the air give the military enough time to swap crew members. Three of them to be specific without having to land the aircraft and still have fresh eyes (Paust, 237).

Technology in communication is the main reason why it is easier for the planes that are found in the operations theatre without operators to be common, and operators can be found in bases like Creech Air Force Base found in the United States. The reason this is possible is that there are satellite communications and undersea cables. As the years go by, sensors can know the smallest targets that are increasing in their endurance.

Types of Drones

On the side of drone types of the Navy, there those unmanned systems on the sea surface, that in the air, and under the sea. People kind of think only of airborne vehicles, not knowing that there are unmanned ships on the water surface even at this moment. There is one that is called the Sea Hunter. The ship is made in a way that it can go to do missions that are equal to or less than ten thousand miles on a mission with there being no refill and no person on board.

From the military drones, people use drones especially when they are inspecting electric lines, and are not willing to use the human-crewed helicopters on the high-powered lines of electricity. On the line of agriculture, the farmers have a great deal of work they do, so they need at some point to fry. And determine which of their plants are either healthy or not and also to determine the plants that need water more and aerial spray them (Bataoel, G72).

The practice is a common routine in the country of Japan. It is somewhat restricted in the United States due to the fact the Federal Aviation Administration has very strong control. Maybe, they will find a way through registration, education, and licensing where the system can be used safely in various locations. Drones are not only weapons of war and surveillance but can help improve the business sector.

Ethical and Legal Ramifications of Drones in War

The military needs to use caution so that they may not forcibly use the drones. The concern level may be lesser since inside the drone, there is no pilot. Hence the military has to conduct all the undertakings diplomatically and economically, that is possible. It is not right to throw drones to the defenseless people who have not done any wrong.

It is not an easy task to deal with drones at all, and they have a difficult environment. It has been found that it impacts the people who are operating them. It has been proven that the people around the drone environment can be affected by post-traumatic stress (Paust, 237). The soldiers are directly involved with all kinds of attacks in their line of duty. They are involved in planning the attacks, which may take days or weeks and they take to the battlefield to analyze the damage. People think of it as a computer game, but the soldiers can give a very different opinion.

Many consternations are revolving the attacks to be launched in the third world countries that the nation is not in war with; an example is the nation of Pakistan. The country has granted U.S. permission to launch attacks on the terrorists in their land for many years. In recent years, the Pakistan government has withdrawn the offer and is less likely to reoffer the deal. The right has been regally under the UN and various international self-defense law regimes (Paust, 237). Therefore, if the US finds that the nation is not able to take action on their hands, they can get into action secretly and eliminate the danger that affects the whole world.

Existing International Laws that Regulate Drones

From the international law's point of view, the drones are no different from any other form of the international systems and hence, the drones have to follow the laws. What the drone does is that they have to make sure that they are hitting the legitimate target which is a strike that is proportional to gain and benefit. The limitation is that the hit must make sure it protects the innocent population of hitting grounds since they are the most important people. These are the laws that need to apply for the unmanned and operating systems. The laws of the drones are not in any way unique since the bigger law is the mother of the drones' part too.

Autonomous Weapons

Some people campaign against the use of killing machines or robots. They say that the use the gadgets should be stopped since their ability is high. They also that the system might decide not to follow the human rules since they are generally artificial intelligent. The group thinks that the machines that use technology and can use it for their protection. But in the real sense, that is a fiction concept of science in many ways (Bataoel, G72). The only way the kind of technology can be able to do that is if it is interfered with. It either it is hacked or that it was build and given the kind of commands so that it can be more of evil than important for protection.

The ministry of defense and the department of defense always insist that there are always probabilities of the human being in the loop hence taking the longer view on the project. There is no direct law that shows how drones should be used at the international level. The United States is a leading investor in the system but at least sixty countries develop robotic systems. Therefore the technology is already in use and there is no way one can reject its existence.

Future of Unmanned Systems

The military will use both operated and unmanned systems in their operation, and not all the aircraft may have the pilots. That is next to impossible to happen. The only way for this to happen is by adding almost all the variables that compose the software of the jets, which might not happen soon (Sparrow, 176). Projects are commonly seen where you see a flying fighter jet with a pilot, and unmanned wingmen jets are flying along with the individual. The pilot is mostly responsible for setting the unmanned jet to the positions they will attack from and also for surveillance, later the pilot directs them back.

Another interesting project is to try and take the small unmanned vehicles to fly. They are carried in the back of the large cargo planes and then they are made to go for missions where they are recovered in the midair and are returned to the cargo plane again. It is very exciting how this can happen and also that the planes can be refueled in the air (Paust, 237).

The other focus is when there are transported on the ground. The largest soldier killers are the improvised explosive devices. If the automated convoys are being brought to work, there will be no single human traveling in the vehicles. The machines will go anywhere in the world and it cannot take any human risk with them.

The Biggest Risk

If anyone is going will proceed with using the unmanned systems, and all believe in it, all humans have to remain more sophisticated concerning human beings interrupting data and jam signals. This one reason is particularly true when it comes to unmanned submarines. When they are below, they are vulnerable. They have to have the best security since being underwater is riskier.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the military should continue using technology since it is better at fighting criminals. As one can observe, there are fewer terrorist attacks in recent years. Big terrorists like Osama bin Laden have been able to be located and terminated. It is therefore of an advantage than a disadvantage.

Works Cited

Bataoel, Vincent. "On the use of drones in military operations in Libya: ethical, legal, and social issues." Synesis: A Journal of Science, Technology, Ethics, and Policy 2.1 (2011): G69-G76.

Paust, Jordan J. "Self-defense targetings of non-state actors and permissibility of US use of drones in Pakistan." J. Transnat'l L. & Pol'y 19 (2009): 237.

Sparrow, Robert. "Building a better WarBot: Ethical issues in the design of unmanned systems for military applications." Science and Engineering Ethics 15.2 (2009): 169-187.