Dispatch from Denmark III: The Challenges of Drone Warfare

New Technology, New Strategy, New Problems

Needs and Benefits

Over the last 20 years, countries have been investing heavily in the use of drone technology, cyber capabilities, communications and logistics equipment. Several other new and cutting-edge devices have been designed to monopolize NATO’s strategic edge over any challengers.

With money spent on computer networks, sensors, precisions weapons and early warning capabilities; the sophistication and use of technology in warfare is at an all time high and will continue with this trend.

The rationale is simple. A more sophisticated warfare capability reduces exposure to casualties, strengthens deterrence, and lowers the risk of inadvertently killing civilians. Since NATO must maintain an ability to anticipate, sense and shape its own security environment, the use of these technologies fits into NATO’s wider strategic goals of reducing its own footprint while increasing its presence in ungoverned spaces, or hostile territories.

The Trends

Having been around since the Vietnam War, drones have maintained an operational presence in warfare for roughly four decades. Since 1991, drones have received far more attention and have become the primary recipient of funding, recruitment, research and development in various U.S. administrations.

Recent trends worth noting are: drones have become the preferred method of warfare by the Obama administration, which has killed roughly 2,000 people in Afghanistan through these attacks since being elected. Second, the trend in design has been to use nanotechnology to make drones smaller and more evasive. More people are training to be drone pilots now than regular pilots.

The speed at which new drone technology is being developed represents a significant trend in defence industries around the world. Currently, the U.S.’ primary drone is the Reaper, but its favourite drone is the Raven. This will change when the X45 (which can fly by itself) is fully developed, but for now, new drone technologies with precision strike capabilities are clearly set to be the enduring trend in military procurement.

Although widely viewed as overpriced, the reality is that the truly expensive part about drones is hiring the people to operate them. The average drone requires roughly 21 people to process intelligence, fly the drone and maintain its operational capability. Moreover, the cost of office space, air conditioning, and pension plans all help run up the tab. Despite these costs, drones represent the wider trend of states wanting to “robotize” their militaries and limit deployment or exposure.

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.torontostandard.com/foreign-desk/dispatch-from-denmark-3...