Rapidly spreading drone war raises many questions

It appears that the first ever drone war is taking place in Yemen, Pakistan and Libya, as well as Afghanistan, and, with tacit acknowledgment from the United States and British militaries, is proceeding successfully, reports Aviation Week.

With more than 37 air strikes on Pakistan in 2011 alone, the escalating use of unmanned aerial vehicles in foreign conflicts leaves many questions unanswered, such as, “Would the U.S. engage in such a wide-ranging air campaign if it were conducted only with manned aircraft flying from overseas bases and carrier strike groups” and “Has the use of unmanned systems led to more warfare, in more places, because of the smaller logistics tail and the fact that pilots’ lives are not at risk.”

It will likely be a long time before these questions – and others like them – can be fully addressed, but in the meantime, the use of UAVs is presenting a number of unique opportunities, the article notes, not only on the physical field of war, but also in the military’s financial and employment arenas.