Military UAVs
Military application of UAVs in warfighting has profoundly transformed military strategy, or perhaps maximized existing strategy. The integration of military application UAVs has been
arguably more efficient and successful than the domestic recreational and commercial attempts.
Financially, military UAVs involve high overhead. The notorious Reaper costs the US military over $12 million per unit and the Predator over $4 million/unit (Atherton, 2017). These two systems, the MQ-9 and MQ-1B are the beginning of drone application in the US Air Force. Broken down, the “M” is a “DOD designation for multi-role... “Q” means remotely piloted aircraft system” and the “1” refers to the aircraft being the first of the series of remotely piloted aircraft systems.” (USAF, 2015).
Ethics
Ethically, there is much public debate both domestically and internationally over the ethics of
drone strikes and UAV warfare in general. Despite UAVs often considered a “surgical method of warfare”, a 2013 study determined drone strikes in Afghanistan resulted in 10x more casualties than comparable manned aircraft strikes (Atherton, 2017). Despite the ethics debates, US military branches are making rapid strides in drone integration and UAV technological advances. Within the past few months the Army and Marine Corp have partnered to create and train with 3-D printed drones fabricated for mission-specific operations (McNally, 2017).
National Bird documentary trailer
In 2016 a documentary entitled National Bird was released highlighting the ethics debate on drone strikes in the Middle East. The film is layed out as an expose of secret U.S. drone programs.
According to a 2017 review by Mockaitis of the Huffington Post, in essence, supports believe:
1. These weapon systems allow the U.S. to take out enemies abroad without risking American soldier's lives
2. UAVs are more precise than other weapons systems resulting in less collateral damage
Critics, however, believe:
1. "They make it too easy to kill from a distance"
2. Potential cause of increased civilian casualties
3. "Anger over them fuels terrorism"
Mockaitis details that this debate is not new even as the dawn of drones has risen. Humanity has voiced out against new military technologies for centuries including backlash against longbows for their ability to knock a knight off his horse at 100 yards in 14th centruy France. New technology, particularly military weaponry, has and will likely always be met with opposition. In my opinion, the "debate" over the ethics of UAV usage is futile, the technology is already here, the programs are already developed and in play, and the advancements will only continue in strength and efficiency.
USAF MQ-9 Reaper
Crew: 1 pilot, 1 sensor operator
Primary Function: “find, fix, and finish targets”.
Secondary Employment: “intelligence collection asset”.
Specs
- Honeywell TPE331-10GD Turboprop Engine
- Between $12-16million per unit
-USAF inventory total force = 93 units
- 602 gallon (useable) fuel tanks
- 900 horsepower maximum
- 200 knots cruise speed
- 66ft wingspan, 36ft length, 12.5ft height
- 4,900lb empty weight, 3,750lb payload, 10,500lb maximum takeoff weight
-Service Ceiling: Up to 50,000ft
-Range: 1,150 miles (1,000 nautical miles)
Weaponry
- 4 laser-guided, Air-to-Ground Missile (AGM)-114 Hellfire missiles
- Synthetic aperture radar
- Laser rangefinder/designator: targets objectives for laser-guided munitions including Guided Bomb Unit-12 Paveway II
MQ-1B Predator
Crew: 1 pilot, 1 sensor operator
Primary Function: Armed reconnaissance, airborne surveillance, target acquisition
Specs
-115 horsepower Rotax 914 four-cylinder engine
-55ft wingspan, 27ft length, 7ft height
-1,130lb empty weight, 450lb payload, maximum takeoff weight 2,250lb
-100 gallon useable fuel tank
- 70 knots cruise speed
- 770 mile range (675 nautical miles)
-25,000ft service ceiling
-$4-$5million per unit
-USAF inventory total force = 150 units
Weaponry
- 2 Laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfires
References
Atherton, K. D. (2017, February 16). What's next for the drone war? Retrieved February 06, 2018, from https://www.popsci.com/whats-next-for-drone-war#page-4
Joshi, D. (2017). Exploring the latest drone technology for commercial, industrial and military drone uses. [online] Business Insider. Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-technology-uses-2017-7 [Accessed 6 Feb. 2018].
McNally, D. (2017, December 18). Army partners with Marine Corps on 3-D printed drones. Retrieved February 06, 2018, from https://www.army.mil/article/198313/army_partners_with_marine_corps_on_3_d_printed_drones
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-mockaitis/drones-and-the-ethics-of_b_8961510.html
Comments
Post a Comment