An Cosantóir

20 | Fire Remote The Advent and Future of Drone Warfare by Robert Tarrant MA, MSc T he ascent of 'The Drone' to the battlefield over the last decade is one of the most notable aspects in the development of modern warfare. From their roles in gathering intelligence to unleashing attacks on targets, their functions and abilities appear to be limited only by the creativity of their commanders. Drones are, however, changing the very nature of warfare itself and presenting a challenge to societies and those removed from the battlefield. Their existence will change peacekeeping and combat far into the future as well as the role of the 'solider at war'. The rise of the modern drone itself tells a unique story of entrepreneurship, innovation and perseverance. In 1977 Abraham Karem an Israeli-born engineer and veteran of the Israeli Air Force, gathered a team including a former Formula 1 legend, Hans Hermann, to develop an nEUROn (© Dassault Aviation - V. Almansa) An Cosantóir July/August 2013 www.dfmagazine.ie unmanned aerial aircraft. At first they started building with basic materials like plywood and even a four-stroke engine. The project proved itself viable enough to receive funding from the Defence Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), the research arm of the US Department of Defence (DoD). Together they developed Amber, the predecessor to the Predator. Late in the 1980s the project was cancelled due to perceived duplication at the DoD and Karem's Leading Systems Company went bankrupt and was sold, making its way to General Atomics after a brief stint with Hughes Aircraft. Karem continued to work on a larger model of Amber called GNAT. After being eventually fitted with a quietened engine in the early '90s to suit clandestine operations, the Predator was born. Since its introduction the Predator has expanded from reconnaissance in the 1995 Balkans conflict to where it has now become the quintessential drone; armed, quiet and deadly. Its proven reliability and battle sturdiness in the remote Hindu Kush Mountains in eastern Afghanistan have made it an icon to both its users and enemies. In fact the use of drones has been so successful that Al Qaeda has released a list of 'twenty-two tips to avoid drone strikes' in a bid to combat their effectiveness. Such tips include 'hiding under thick trees' and 'setting up fake gatherings with dolls'. Systems that were developed in parallel with the programme have now been given their chance on the battlefield. These include, a hand-launched, 60cm-long, switchblade style 'kamikaze drone' carried into battle in a backpack, useful for pinned down troops in remote areas, and the 'Desert Hawk', launched from a 'bungee' cord and used primarily for base- and perimeter-protection. Larger, more developed systems, include the BAE Systems Taranis, named after the Celtic God of Thunder, which is planned to fly intercontinental stealth missions. The Dassault nEUROn is leading the development of mainland European UCAVs (unmanned aerial combat vehicles). Across the Atlantic the X-47B was recently loaded onto the USS Harry S Truman for 'deck-handling trials', evolving the role of carrier-based UCAVs. China has also made its investment in UAVs, launching the Guizhou Soar Eagle and the WuZhen-2000. However, while the term 'drone' generally refers to pilotless aircraft, similar unmanned devices are being employed by the military in a range of different environments. The Seafox is an anti-mine vehicle that has recently been deployed by the US Navy to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow strip of water leading into the Persian Gulf. The proliferation of unmanned vehicles has also had its impact on land in the shape of the Packbot, which is intended as a robotic mule for carrying goods and sup-

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