The Visor

Unmanned aerial vehicles fly to rescue

September 11, 2009

Nick Pelini

       White House’s defense budget has asked for $3.5 billion to fund the future of planes: unmanned aerial vehicles.

       Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are military aircrafts that can be piloted remotely or by pre-programmed directions. UAVs started to become popular during the Vietnam War, mostly to gain surveillance. Recently DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has announced plans to release a UAV that “is able to fly over a single area, communicating or performing analysis for years at a time,” according to Flight Global.

       After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, UAVs are being deployed to perform more important and more dangerous missions. These missions range from scientific research such as flying into a hurricane to gain new information, go­ing into a natural disaster to perform search and rescue, and into war to execute missile strikes.

       Concerning the military usage of the planes, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said according to ABC, “As far as drone attacks themselves are concerned […] I have found them to be, and the commanders in the field have found them to be, very effective.”

       The benefits of unmanned aerial vehicles are plenty. These new planes use less complex electronic systems, which in turn consume less fuel. Another advantage is that precarious operations like missile strikes can be completed without risking the pilot’s life.

       UAVs have come under heavy criticism though. The Pakistani claim that the planes are not as accurate which they say has resulted in several civilian casualties. UAVs have also come under fire because they are virtually invisible to radar and could become harmful if the technology falls into the hands of unstable countries.

       As unmanned aerial vehicles continue to improve, countless lives can be saved in the process.

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