UAV/ Drones: History, Operations, and Future

The terms Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and drones have been used repeatedly and broadly during the last decade, especially armed drones, becoming a central issue of both global security and human rights agendas.
Drones are bound to be part of the advanced arsenals of many states for the foreseeable future and may be joined by other new technologies, such as increasingly autonomous weapons systems. They are unique in some aspects, which necessitates special care in the regulation of their use. They make the long- distance deployment of targeted lethal force across national borders much easier than before, which might lower the war threshold. These remotely controlled aircraft allow the states using them to keep their own forces safe, while gathering information and directing force with great precision against their enemies.