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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs) and Drones

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including drones, are everywhere. If you have one, you flaunt it! If you
don’t, you want one. Regardless, they are one of the top selling toys of the decade! But did you know that
UAVs are being used for far more than just backyard play? They are transforming engineering, science,
emergency management, and many more industries that previously relied on physical presence for obser-
vation and study or other expensive alternatives.
As with most advanced technology such as the airplane, underwater vehicles, and GPS, the early adoption
and development of drones can be attributed to government or military use. As the price of development
and construction has significantly dropped in recent years, drones now have many functions, ranging from
monitoring climate change to carrying out search operations after natural disasters, photography, filming,
and delivering goods. As the cost of production has decreased, drones have found even more widespread
use and in applications that were not possible just several years ago.
Some of the many benefits of drones in todays world are that they can complete tasks in a quick and effi-
cient manner and in many instances can enter environments that may be dangerous to on-the-ground
crews. They can operate with minimum disruptions to everyday life and operations, guided from a consid-
erable distance, and not worry about natural or artificial barriers to the sight lines. Images are high resolu-
tion and serve a variety of users. They can be transmitted, shared and printed. Software can turn them into
topographical maps, heatmaps and more. Drones present no safety risk for the operator and in the hands
of a trained professional, eliminates risks to ground and air personnel. Finally, compared to other methods
of aerial reconnaissance, they can be environment friendly, are battery-operated and produce no toxic
fumes.
HISTORY AND MILITARY USE
The earliest recorded use of an unmanned aerial vehicle occurred in 1849, when the Austrians attacked the
Italian city of Venice with unmanned balloons loaded with explosives known as Austrian balloons. The first
pilotless vehicles were built during the First World War which were launched by catapult or flown using
radio control. In January 1918, the US Army started production of aerial torpedoes. The model that was
developed, the Kettering Bug, was flown successfully in some tests, but the war ended before it could be
further developed. In 1935 the British produced a number of radio-controlled aircraft to be used as targets
for training purposes. It's thought the term 'drone' started to be used at this time, inspired by the name of
one of these models, the DH.82B Queen Bee. Radio-controlled drones were also manufactured in the
United States and used for target practice and training. Reconnaissance UAVs were first deployed on a
large scale in the Vietnam War. Drones also began to be used in a range of new roles, such as acting as
decoys in combat, launching missiles against fixed targets and dropping leaflets for psychological opera-
tions.
Following the Vietnam War other countries outside of Britain and the United States began to explore
unmanned aerial technology. New models became more sophisticated, with improved endurance and the
ability to maintain greater height. In recent years models have been developed that use technology such as
solar power to tackle the problem of fueling for even longer flights.
But their most well-known and controversial use is by the military for reconnaissance, surveillance and
targeted attacks. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United States in particular has significantly increased
its use of drones. They are mostly used for surveillance in areas and terrains where troops are unable to
safely go. But they are also used as weapons and have been credited with killing suspected militants. Their
use in current conflicts and over some countries has raised questions about the ethics of this kind of wea-
ponry, especially when it results in civilian deaths, either due to inaccurate data or because of their proxim-
ity to a ‘target’.
As governments grapple with the ethical issues of drone use in military operations, new uses are found
everyday with far less controversial intent and help us in ways that make daily life better.

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