Capturing moments in the sky with the use of drone technology.
Over a thousand years ago, bow and arrow was what was used by the U.S military to fight wars. Ever since then, remote killing has been a critical feature of war.
The drone has become central in aiding the U.S national security strategy. They provide very important functions to the U.S military in that they provide the war managers with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, abbreviated as ISR. It clearly makes sense why drones have become popular for the military. Drones have been used for decades despite being associated with the current military robots. See are drones safe?
The Austrians boast one of the first uses of drones in 1849 when they launched about 200 balloons with no pilots against the city of Venice. Less than 20 years later, confederate and union forces both soared balloons for reconnaissance missions in the U.S civil war.
Samuel Langley came up with steam powered aerodromes that were flown effectively along the Patomac river near Washington D.C. These aircrafts were actually unpiloted. It is interesting to note that in these short flights, a peek of the future could be seen in the hovering aerodrome. In 1898, during the Spanish –American war, the practice of aerial surveillance surfaced when the U.S military mounted a camera to a kite, producing the first ever aerial reconnaissance photos. Between 1914 and 1918 during the First World War, aerial surveillance was used considerably. Stereoscopes were used to track enemy movements on photos that were stitched together on to develop mosaic maps.
Certainly, the evolution of the U.S drones incorporated five overlapping phases. First the drone was used as a practice target in the early twentieth century. Second, into the Second World War, the drone was deemed to be some kind of flying bomb that would easily sent behind enemy lines. Third, the drone was seen as a feasible surveillance platform able to bag intelligence in restricted areas. Fourth, the drone became a combined hunter-killer since it began being used as a weapon of some sort. Fifth, the drone was refashioned as a technology for police for domestic law enforcement. This evolution projects the use of drones for state power.
It is very important to note that the development of drones deteriorated because there was actually very little need for them. There were many rockets and cruise missiles which were more so like airplanes. It is also quite interesting to mention that cruise missiles were in a sense proto-drones, small versions of what the military had tried as far back as 1917. But then these missiles were not able to maneuver in a pattern. Furthermore they were not able to return to base. Their weapon delivery was also put to question, it was not impactful and was simply blunt. This delivery was the missile itself.
Modern day drones (see drone infographic) were made possible in the 1980s and ‘90s upon making improvements in the computing and electronic controlling systems. Plans to arm aircrafts with missiles began in the late 90s courtesy of the Air Force. Drones have been the subject of contention with the name suggesting ruthless and cruel characteristics. The first drone developed by the air force after 2001 was the predator. Now this name is rather crude to say the least even for a weapons system.
Finally, it is rather important to dissect how drones really kill. Police forces are quickly turning in the direction of these robots for securing the economic insecurities of the contemporary urban landscape. Drones were developed to primarily target individual humans and not places. Drones linger, specifically looking for a human target. Drones permit all the estrangement of long-range missions but with much more flexibility and capacity for everyday use. A big number of U.S. police drones that exist today are modifications of the small-scale quadcopter drones.
Drones are an incredible technology that has evolved and is now strongly used by the U.S military in pursuit of the enemies of state. However, it is critical to ponder that this unique technology allows the regular violence of military force to be separated further from human emotion. That is why we are developing guidelines and restrictions for drones.
