Though popularly dubbed “drones,” the current generation of unmanned aircraft don’t operate autonomously during flight; they are controlled by military personnel on the ground. In the case of the Air Force, Predator and Reaper aircraft flying over Afghanistan are operated by pilots located just outside of Las Vegas.
Once regarded as a niche tool, UAVs have emerged as one of the most high-profile weapons in current military operations. In Iraq, an aviation battalion that uses manned and unmanned aircraft, called Task Force ODIN (an acronym for Observe, Detect, Identify and Neutralize) has been credited with capturing or killing thousands of insurgents responsible for planting roadside bombs. The Pentagon is hoping ODIN will eventually see the same success in Afghanistan.
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