Science & Tech

Can This Drone Bring Peace to Ukraine?

International monitors prepare to launch a surveillance drone that could change the game on the ground in Ukraine. By Patrick Tucker

Ideas

To Save the Navy’s Next-Gen Drone, Kill It First

Aircraft carriers need better protection, so let’s restart the UCLASS program from scratch. By Paul Scharre and Shawn Brimley

Ideas

What Drones Can Do Besides Killing Terrorists

It’s time everyone – including the media – start distinguishing between combat drones that kill and surveillance drones that save lives. By Melissa S. Hersh

Science & Tech

Fighting Ebola with Data, Satellites and Drones

Some of the intelligence tools that militaries use to gather intelligence could play a growing role in preventing the worst-case scenario. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

The Rise of the Islamic State Could Mean More Drones

The recent trend in less spending for drones just hit a big bump in the wake of the threat of Islamic fighters in Iraq and Syria. By Patrick Tucker

Threats

Governments Line Up To Buy the Drone That Terrorized Gaza

Just weeks after the latest Israel-Hamas cease-fire, defense contractors are itching to sell the IDF's primary weapon in counter-terror operations. By Daniel A. Medina

Ideas

The U.S. Needs More Drones

The threat from terrorism is changing in ways that make intelligence collection all the more important. By Paul Scharre

Science & Tech

How Japan Fell in Love With America's Drones

After signaling a shift away from pacifism and toward a policy of collective self-defense, Japan is now set to possess the fastest-growing UAV program in the world. By Daniel A. Medina

Threats

Obama Requests Drone Surge for U.S.-Mexico Border

President Obama has requested an escalation of aerial surveillance along the border with Mexico -- including 16 more drone crews at a cost of nearly $40 million. By Aliya Sternstein

Policy

Gen. Abizaid-Led Panel Sounds Alarm on U.S. Drones

It's time Obama rethinks drones when a group like this criticizes the precedents and dangers of targeted killings. By Conor Friedersdorf

Science & Tech

Brain Drain Is Threatening the Future of U.S. Robotics

Advances in robotics and automated warfare have outpaced U.S. regulatory mechanisms. But a much bigger problem threatens the future of robotics in America's defense: the brain drain to the private sector. By Megan Garber

Science & Tech

Three Misconceptions About Drones

A new report by the Stimson Center’s Task Force on U.S. Drone Policy examines some common beliefs about drones. By Janine Davidson

Ideas

Obama's Drone Killing Memo: Too Little, Too Late

Help me figure out why this memo justifying killing American Anwar al-Awlaki was kept secret. By Conor Friedersdorf

Science & Tech

The Pros and Cons of U.S. Drone Strikes in Iraq

The easiest option against ISIS politically might also be the least effective. By Patrick Tucker

Ideas

Inside the Air Force's Secret Drone Pilot Training Classroom

The technology of war is changing, but the fundamental conflict is the same. By Corey Mead

Threats

Pakistan Wants Drones and It Doesn't Need America's Permission to Get Them

There may be more cooperation between Pakistan and China than the Pakistani government admits. By Sara Sorcher

Science & Tech

When a Drone Flies Into a Jet Engine, Bad Things Happen

This video shows one reason why the U.S. is slow to open civilian airspace for drones. By Nick Stockton

Science & Tech

Every Country Will Have Armed Drones Within 10 Years

The proliferation of weaponized drone technology is inevitable, and there’s nothing the U.S. can do to stop it. By Patrick Tucker

Ideas

Congress’s Chance to Fix Aircraft Carrier Drones

The Navy could have the drone the U.S. needs to protect carriers, if Congress steps up this week. By Shawn Brimley

Science & Tech

Want More Renewable Energy? Send in the Drones

Out in the desert it's hard to know when one solar panel among millions has failed. Unless you're a drone. By Todd Woody