Remotely piloted aircraft - or drones - in operation at Creech USAF base in NevadaFrom The International Institute of Strategic Studies:
In mid 2008 the United States government substantially stepped up the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over northwest Pakistan. Since then, Hellfire missiles and the drones that launch them have entered the lexicon of mainstream news. Barack Obama’s new US administration has intensified the use of pilotless aircraft to target al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Pakistan’s remote tribal areas. This has prompted renewed calls from the Pakistani government for the US to desist, because of civilian deaths and increasingly violent responses from militant groups
Pakistan is the most high-profile and divisive example of the increasing use of UAVs in recent conflict situations. However, more than 50 nations now use drones for reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering and targetting. The machines range from the strategic-reconnaissance Global Hawk, which can fly non-stop from California to Australia, to mini surveillance robots that look like props from a James Bond film.
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My Comment: This is a comprehensive and in depth look at the use of UAVs. This is a must read.