Drones: What Are They Good For?

Abstract

The drone debate continues hot and heavy. Critical issues range from the morality of targeting choices and concerns about unintended casualties and anti-Americanism to matters of legal and bureaucratic oversight. These are pressing questions; the US' use of drones as a weapon of war is on the rise, and other countries are interested in acquiring them. This article poses basic questions about the use of drone strikes as tools of the state. The author's goal is to spark further analysis of drone strikes as an instrument in the US foreign policy tool kit. The author asks how drones compare to other weapons and what they may be able to achieve tactically and strategically, militarily and politically. These are also questions worth considering in the context of how other states' acquisition of armed drones could affect the US. This article considers the goal of US drone programs to be greater security for the US and its friends and allies. Caveat: There are analysts thinking about a future of stand-off, plugged-in warfare. Adapted from the source document.