Things you didnt know about Drones The first armed drones were created to get Osama bin

Laden. So far, drones tend to crash. As of July 2010, the air force had identified 79 drone accidents costing at least $1 million each. Reason for crash (primarily): bad weather, loss or disruption of communications links, and human error factors The scope of US military drone missions is expanding. But not as fast as civilian uses. (ex. using surveillance or safety drones at Japans Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power plant to survey the damage after tsunami) Most military drones dont bomb. Vast majority of the time drones are used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) Although decapitation strikes may get all the headlines Attacking drones require more boots on the ground. Most unmanned aircraft flown by US military requires not just a ground-based pilot, but also a platoon of surveillance analysts (approx. 19 per drone), sensor operators, and a maintenance crew Keep up with demand= Air force has to train more drone operators Upside: (congressional budget office) drones are usually less expensive than manned aircraft Drones are becoming a lethal weapon of choice, but nobodys in charge. Over past decade, there have been some 300 drone strikes outside the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Of these, 95% occurred in Pakistan, the rest in Yemen and Somalia. Have killed more than 2000 suspected militants, and unknown number of civilians The drone future is already here. The Pentagon now boasts a fleet of approximately 7,500 drones, up from just 50 a decade ago. According to a congressional report, "manned aircraft have gone from 95% of all [Defense Department] aircraft in 2005 to 69% today." Over the next decade, the Pentagon expects the number of "multirole" drones -- ones that can both spy and strike -- to nearly quadruple, to 536. In 2011, the Teal Group consulting firm estimated that worldwide spending on unmanned aerial vehicles will nearly double over the next decade from $5.9 billion to $11.3 billion annually. In the future, drones are projected to: hover just behind infantry soldiers to watch their backs; carry airborne lasers to intercept ballistic missiles; perform aerial refueling; and conduct long-range strategic bombing missions. Given that drones will become cheaper, smaller, faster, stealthier, more lethal, and more autonomous, it is harder to imagine what they won't do than what they will. Whatever limits drones face will be imposed by us humans -- not technology.