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Drone Wars
Conference London 18th Sept, 2010Drone Wars is a one day conference in London on September 18th to explore the growing use of armed, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), otherwise known as drones. Armed drones are used by Britain, US and others at great human cost and often in breach of humanitarian law. Used in war and for targeted killings this technology is being used by the UK with little public debate. Join other peace activists and researchers to investigate how to down the drones.Conference Programme and registration details |
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Campaign Background
What was once the stuff of science fiction - remote controlled drones dropping bombs onto targets thousands of miles away - is now taking place on an almost daily basis. indeed it seems to have become the preferred method of attack by US and British forces. However one aspect of warfare has not changed. According to the Washington-based think-tank, The Brooking Institution , for every ‘militant’ killed in a drone strike at least 10 civilians also die.
Unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are small
remotely-piloted aircraft controlled from the ground or autonomously
following a pre-programmed mission. While there are literally dozens of
different types of drones, they fall into two basic categories: those
that are used purely for surveillance and intelligence purposes and
those that are also armed with missiles and bombs and can be used for
attack. Whilst armed drones were first used in the Balkans war, their
use has escalated massively in Iraq, Afghanistan and most recently in
the undeclared war in Pakistan.
Britain began using armed UAV’s in Afghanistan in Oct 2007 after purchasing three Reapers from General Atomics in 2007 at a cost of £6m each. One of these crashed in Afghanistan in April 2008 and was later replaced, leaving three in service. The UK has ordered a further two Reapers which are due to enter service in 2010.The UK is also developing its own “sovereign” armed UAVs under a £124m programme called Project Morrigan, which has resulted in an armed UAV, still under development by BAE Systems, called Taranis.
Whilst the British and US Reaper and Predator UAVs are in physically in Afghanistan and Iraq, they are actually operated via satellite communication from Nellis and Creech USAF base just outside Las Vegas in Nevada. Ground support troops launch the UAVs from Kandhar airbase and then, once they have reached several thousand feet, control of the drones is handed over to a crew of three operators sitting in front of video screens in specially designed trailers in the Nevada desert. One person ‘flies’ the drone, another controls and monitors the cameras and sensors, whilst a third person is in contact with the “customers”, ground troops and commanders in the war zone.
Although the use of armed drones is still relatively new, FoR has a have a number of serious concerns not least because there is a picture beginning to emerge of high civilian casualties. In addition the use of armed drones to target specific individuals could amount to summary or arbitrary execution, and currently drone operators are making life and death decisions when they are emotionally and mentally exhausted by long hours and regular schedule changes.
Drones are the latest in a long line of new weapons used in the mistaken belief that they will provide a clean and tidy solution to a conflict – time and again history has proved that this is a myth. |
FoR calls on the Government to make public the number of causalities resulting from British drone attacks and we urge that there is a serious, informed and open discussion about the use of armed drones by British forces in the very near future. We believe that there should be a ban on the use of armed unmanned drones. FoR advocates nonviolent conflict transformation in order to bring about genuine and lasting peace. Drones are the latest in a long line of new weapons used in the mistaken belief that they will provide a clean and tidy solution to a conflict – time and again history has proved that this is a myth. |
FoR is developing information and campaigning resources on the use of armed drones.
If you would like to be notified when new resources are ready or informed about campaign events please contact dronecampaign@for.org.uk
You may also be interested to:
Download the related Peacemaker Briefing on Drones
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