The Use of Drones to Counter Terrorism

Welcome to the topic “The Use of Drones to Counter Terrorism.”

There has been extensive use of drones to counter terrorism in the previous two decades. Their ability to utilize a variety of sensors, for example to capture images and infrared signals, makes drones very useful in counter terrorism battles.

In today’s post, we will explore the advantages of drones as a warfare technique in the modern world. In addition, we will discuss the limitations of this technique. 

Introduction to Drones

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are well recognized as Drones. They are pilotless aircraft operated remotely by individuals on the ground. Drone operators are always positioned at a place near the field of operation.

Drones are designed in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be used in missions such as intelligence collection, investigation, and military combat operations, which goes well beyond the capture of counter terrorism data.

Drones’ Deployment

Combat drones deployed by the US army include the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper. They are equipped with a variety of sensors, which can capture images and infrared signals, as well as helping in the collection and transmission of the intelligence data to controllers.

These combat drones are equipped with air to surface missiles.

Unarmed drones have been in use for many years, but the US army recently introduced the use of combat ones to target insurgents.

Unlike missiles, the drones can be put to use over and over again. These are technically known as (RPVs) Remotely Piloted Vehicles. 

Classification of Drones

You can categorize drones into three main classes: operational, tactical, and strategic.

•           Operational drones consisted of the Predator and Reaper programs. They are capable of taking flights up to 7,500 and 15,000 meters, correspondingly. They are positioned at the stage levels of war.

Besides, they can also be deployed for both investigation and targeting needs.

•           Strategic UAVs are useful in long-range investigations over rebelliously hostile territory. They comprise systems like the Global Hawk.

This class is designed to cruise up 40 hours at the height of 20,000 meters. It can travel 3000 miles.

•           The tactical drones fly at low altitudes. They are short-range crafts with a range of 20 miles or less.

Its illustration is the Dragon Eye system. As opposed to the other two types of drones, they can fly autonomously and entirely controlled by operators.

Police typically use them in technologically advanced countries for inspecting crowds and observing borders.

With the exception of the Predator and Reaper series,’ most of the drones are used for gathering intelligence. In warfare, they play the role of force multipliers and improve the performance of warfare units by informing and providing intelligence to their operators. They are less useful as independent combat support.

How are Drones used to Counter Terrorism?

Drones are broadly used to mark rebellious and extremist groups causing terrorism all over the world. In counterinsurgency operations, drones are providing a number of advantages at a military level.

Drones also have altered the means by which countries engage in counter terrorism tasks. They work without placing military lives at risk.

Likewise, they are capable of aiming at direct targets like individuals, even rooms in large houses, with sheer accuracy.

Likewise, in using force, drones can also provide intelligence, which might be their most significant advantage.

These advanced technologies used in drones make them practical for hitting the target and minimizing the risk of to non-combatants. This allows nations to undergo counter-insurgency operations with minimal risk of general causalities.  Also, highly selective targeting lowers the cost of operations.

Effectiveness of using Combat Drones

The technology used in combat drones has the ability to target insurgents while separating others from harms way.

Selective violence aims to undermine terrorist organizations, as well as political activities and acts of terrorism.

This can be exercised both directly and indirectly.

The direct effect of selective violence is that it makes militants change their activities in ways that prevent them from engaging in ferocity.

Drone attacks can destroy equipment along with safe houses and members of terrorist organizations. This makes them change their positions frequently, and raises the cost of insurgent activities that engage in violence.

The use of selective violence can do long-lasting damage to insurgent organizations, and reduces their ability to engage with their members. It also discourages others from being part of these terrorist groups. Thus, reducing their potential workforce.

All this can be achieved if the operations based on selective violence are sustained for long periods. This way, it can leave minimal scope for insurgents to gather their human resources and financial support.

Furthermore, to make counter-insurgency airstrikes more effective, it is necessary to separate insurgents from the populations that provides them with intelligence and support. This cannot be achieved by airstrikes alone, but combat drones make it possible..

Drone strikes and Resilience of Terrorist Organizations

A number of studies have been conducted to understand the impact of these targeted killings on terrorist organizations. 

Most of these research studies concluded that these drone airstrikes are somewhat ineffective in causing the decline of terrorist attacks.

Somehow this selective violence strategy seems ineffective from the perspective of some insurgent organizations. It might be because targeting their members often enough to be effective is problematic.

This factor gives them resilience against attacks.

These targeted attacks are performed under the direction of the state with reference to national and international armed conflicts.

 If we analyze further, airstrikes are like target killing, which targets only individuals and members of insurgent organizations who are participating in hostilities.

These attacks have very little influence, whether good or bad, over violent terrorist groups. The drone attacks which targeted militants have caused an increase in consequent terrorist violence.

These findings suggest that drones are a fragile substitute for traditional strategies of counter terrorism operations. Drones by themselves have not contributed to punish terrorist organizations. There has been a significant part played by several ground forces that provide intelligence from the general public.

Hence, it suggests that drone airstrikes achieve their target in more narrowly defined counter terrorism operations than anti-terrorist campaigns. The usefulness of drones increased in those settings where ground intelligence forces are leading the way, and the challenges faced are at the minimum level.

Drones and Political Controversies

Unlike all other drone operations controlled by the US military, those performed in Pakistan are conducted by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency).

This raises concerns about the legality of these operations outside of warzones. Since the CIA does not have the same oversight level as the armed forces, it makes their targeting procedure doubtful.

With the evolving controversies over drone attacks in Pakistan, the analysts produce their arguments based on three points:

Firstly, these drone attacks do not ensure the safety of innocent bystanders.

Secondly, the rules should be devised explicitly for governing their engagement.

Thirdly, they violated Pakistani sovereignty. 

To an extent, the first two claims are interrelated since these operations are conducted in confidentiality, which evokes speculations about the destruction caused by them.

The estimated fatalities occurring to non-combats by these drone attacks are 10% to 98% of the total.

The improbability of these numbers arises from the fact that there are no authentic sources by which deaths can be classified and measured. 

Many analysts are of the view that drones are overwhelmingly killing noncombatants, opposite to the claims of US officials.

Radical Views about Using Drone Technology

According to some analysts’, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles symbolize the change in combat approach. They believe that as gunpowder brought revolution to this field, so are the drones.

Some are of the view that combat drones are going to replace manned aircraft in warfare. However, all these views are likely idealistic, considering the fundamental boundaries of using drones.

The limitations are not only implied on a technical basis but also on moral grounds.

So, while understanding the impact of drones on military grounds, two fundamental questions arise.

1. Are they capable of representing revolution in combat technology?
2. How are they more advantageous as compared to human-crewed aircraft?

The first question implies the regularity of revolutionary changes in functionality and performance.

Moreover, there is a perception that combat drones are evolutionary in nature, not revolutionary.

The replacement of manned aircraft is centered on an ethical notion that drones denote a complete enhancement over existing aviation structures.

This statement seem to ignore the possibility that such technology perchance has been settled due to specific necessities.

 In other ways, these unmanned aircraft could be involved in jobs that are integrally less suitable than manned aircraft. However, drone practices in combats are gradually growing.

Their utilization arises mainly from the specific needs born after 9/11 counterterrorist tasks.

Final Thoughts

The use of drones to counter terrorism has been an advanced strategy, but with its own limitations. There have been huge concerns that arise with the use of this war strategy. It is also a fact that UAV technology advancements are too slow to justify declaring it as a revolutionary phenomenon. Rather than substituting drones for manned aircraft in the coming days, it is more likely that they will be used to complement them.

We hope you enjoyed this article about the use of drones to counter terrorism. You will note that there are significant questions about the effectiveness of drones in reducing the growth of terrorist organizations. As well as significant questions about the extent to which they are revolutionary in nature. We welcome your comments, thoughts, points of discussion, and suggestions for future topics. We always love to hear from our readers.

Have any questions regarding the topic The Use of Drones to Counter Terrorism? Feel Free to comment down below.

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