This morning's news that Iran has succeeded in capturing a U.S. military drone (unmanned aerial vehicle, to give it its technical name) is an important moment in the development of this relatively new technology: it shows that the drone is no longer the undisputed master of the skies. Ever since drones were first introduced by the CIA to track al-Qaeda terrorists in the lawless border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan, there has been a widespread belief that these pilotless aircraft could rule the skies with impunity. Indeed, the successful deployment of drones in all the recent combat theatres, from Libya to Gaza, has led many experts to predict that the age of manned aerial combat is drawing to a close.
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