GabrielRamirez

Ms.Nicdao

ResearchandDigitalLiteracy

15July2016
MilitaryDrones

DidyouknowthatthefirstdroneissaidtohavebeenusedinJulyof1849!Howdidtheydothis?
Theyusedballoonswithbombsattachedtothem!Didyouknowthatasof2013theU.SDepartmentof
Defensehas112Reaperand237Predatordronesthatcanbecontrolledfromtheothersideoftheearth?
Thesedroneshavekilledover3,922peopleandhavebeenflownover500timesbytheendof2015
.Militarydronesarebeingusedeverywherebysuperpowersallaroundtheworld!Theyhavemadeahuge
impactbylimitingtheamountofcasualtiesandreducingtheneedforbootsontheground.Droneshave
comealongwayandcanstillimprove!Theycanimprovetheiraccuracyasmanyinnocentciviliansdie
duetomistargeting.Droneshavealongwaytogofrombeingperfectbutonedaytheywillbe.
MilitaryDroneshavebeeninuseforalongtime,since1849andtheyareamazingmachinesthat
candoscarythings!Droneswereinventedforthreemainreasonsintelligencesurveillance,and
reconnaissance(IRS).IRSisextremelyessentialforallmilitaryoperations,mainlyforthedecisionmakers
astheyneedtobeinformedaboutthedecisionstheyaremaking.TheIRShelpsdecisionmakersaround
theworlddecideonwhatisathreatandhowtheyshouldrespondtoit.Notonlyaremilitarydronesused
onthebattlefieldbutalsotosavelivesduringdisasters.AfterthedevastatingearthquakeinHaitiin2010
theU.SAirForcereleaseditsGlobalhawk.TheAirforcewasabletomapthedamageareaandgivethe
informationtoreliefeffortsmakingrescuingpeopleeasierandsafer.Dronesarebetterthanhelicopters
especiallyingatheringinformation,helicopterscantakeuptoonehourtoarriveonthesightversusa
dronetakingthreeminutes!In2013militarydroneshelpextinguishwildfiresinCalifornia.Theygathered
informationandthengaveittothefirstresponders.Notonlydidtheyhelpputoutfiresbuttheyalso

assistedintwosearchandrescuemissioninCalifornia.Thisprovesthatmilitarydronescanhelpnotonly
savelivesonthebattlefieldbutalsoonathome.Dronesareprovingtobegreatassetsnotonlytosoldiers
butcivilians.
Alotofpeoplesaymilitarydronesarebadandtheykilltoomanyciviliansbuttheyareover
lookingthegood.Besidessavingsoldierslivestheyalsoleadthewayinnewandbettertechnology.The
goodisthatithasaerospacecompaniesmakingsmallerandcheapervehicles.Whatdoesthatsolve?It
solvesthefactthatmilitaryplanescancostup350milliondollars.Insteadcompaniesarefocusingon
makeplanesthatcanfitinabackpack.Thismakewarslightlylessexpensiveandalsomilitary
technologyhasabigimpactonciviliantechnology,wecanuseGPSasanexample.Thenwith
improvementstomilitarytechwecanonedayapplyitathome,maybeanelectricplane,whoknows?
Onlythingis,thatdronescancountasmanydifferentthings.Droneshavehelpedthemilitarydisarm
bombsandIEDsandkeepAmericansoldiersaliveintheMidEast.Themostcommonbombdisposal
robotisthetEODor.Therobotisequippedwithanarm,cameras,andsensors.Withthehelpofthe
tEODoroperatorwillbeabletodefusethebomboutsideoftheblastradius.Rarelywilltheoperatorenter
theblastrangetodefusetheIEDwithhishands.Robotsarejustmachinesandwhenitcomestolosing
oneallyouhavetodoisorderareplacement,youcan'tdothatwithhumanlives.Thedroneshelpthe
soldiersknowwhattheyaredealingwithbeforetheyhavetowalkuptoitandsometimestheydon'thave
towalkuptoitatall.
Droneshavemanyissues,especiallythefactthatsomanyinnocentlivesarekilledbycollateral
damage.AreportfromTheInterceptsaysthataround90%ofpeoplekilledindronestrikesarenotthe
intendedtargetthattheywereaimingat!Someestimatesgiveciviliancasualtiesa10:1ratio!Thats
horriblethatsomanyinnocentlivesweretaken.Somanyproblemsneedtofixed,likeaccuracy!With
betteraccuracywecandropthe90%civiliandeathtollto0%.Thenwehavetheproblemwithdrones
replacingpilots.Itissaidthatthelastfighterpilothasalreadybeenborn.Thereasonisbecausemany

fighterpilotsarebeingpulledoutoftheirF16superhornetsandarebeingplacedintinstocontrola
droneacrosstheworld.Itissaidthattheairforcecan'tkeepupwiththedemandfordronepilotsso
workingconditionswerepoor.Pilotswouldhavetoworktwelvehoursadaysixdaysaweek.Thatsalot
oftimesittinginametalbox.Thatwasin2005andluckilytodaymanypilotsarebeingallowedtoreturn
totheirbirdsintheskies.Evenciviliansathomeareworriedaboutmilitarydrones,mainlythefactthat
theyinvadeprivacy.Thatisn'tabigproblemconsideringwehavelawsprotectingourrightsuchasThe
PreservingFreedomfromUnwarrantedSurveillanceAct2012.Thislawmakessurethegovernment
obeysourfourthamendment.Sowedon'thavetoworryaboutbigbrother.
Militarydroneshavealongwaytogoandtheycandogreatthingsbutalsobecapableofdoing
horriblethings.Theymaytakethelivesofterroristbutsometimesatthecostofinnocentcivilians.Drones
willalsoleadthewayinaerospaceinnovationandcanmakeagreatimprovementtocivilianairtravel.
Militarytechnologydevelopmentisveryimportant,maybeonedaywemighthaveapassengerplanethat
doesnotneedapilotorcanflyfordayswithoutrefueling.Theymayhaveatonepointmadefighterpilots
angrybutnowthegovernmentemployesmoredroneoperatorssonowit'snotanissue.Intermsofthe
governmentspyingonuswedon'thavetoworryaboutitaswehavelawsinplacetoprotectus,
rememberthatwethepeoplerunthecountry.Droneshavemanyprosandconsbuttheprosoutweighthe
cons.Militarydronesourleadingthewaytoamoretechnologicaladvancedworld!

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