11. Drones in Our World, Part III: Non-Kinetic Solutions
- Author:
- Whitney Grespin
- Publication Date:
- 05-2012
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Diplomatic Courier
- Abstract:
- Drone strikes on militants capture the negative headlines, but increasingly UAVs are winning fans amongst war fighters and civilians by other means. From providing eyes in the sky to taking on high-risk life support missions, the use of unmanned platforms is growing with no slowdown in sight. There are five fronts where UAVs are supporting the troops in ways that exploit their capabilities beyond offensive missions: surveillance/reconnaissance, intelligence, logistics, chronological reach back, and perhaps most surprisingly, community engagement. While context specific intelligence analysis is inseparable from its acquisition via surveillance and reconnaissance missions, it is separable for the purpose of this discussion about UAVs and how they are challenging traditional practices. UAVs can be both tactical and strategic assets – they are not only informing today’s missions, and they do not solely provide data that informs theater level decision making. These systems are achieving both tactical and strategic objectives, and they are sometimes doing so with the same machine in the same mission.
- Topic:
- Intelligence, Science and Technology, Military Strategy, and Drones
- Political Geography:
- North America and United States of America