Pentagon Increasing Drone Flights By 50%

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has been on the rise over the last decade and 65 drone flights are currently being run daily, up from five a day in 2004.

Most of these flights are operated by the US Air Force (USAF), which is suffering from drone pilot shortages as personnel burn out from stressful missions. In June, the USAF announced that it would be seeking to cut back drone flights from 65 to 60 a day.

To stem this problem, the Pentagon is getting involved and will pull in the US Army, Special Forces and third-party defence contractors to help run more drone flights, with the aim of increasing daily UAV flights from 60 up to 90 by 2019, a senior defence official told the Wall Street Journal.

In the past, the CIA has worked with the USAF on secret drone missions, but the increase in drone flights will enable drones to conduct surveillance for more US government agencies and gather intelligence about ongoing situations in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, North Africa and the South China Sea.

But drones have also been used in the past for deadly and controversial air strikes, and an increase in drone flights could lead to more civilian deaths, which campaigners say are illegal and contravene basic human rights. In fact, a recent report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates that almost 6,000 people have been killed by drone strikes in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia to date.

Military officials have been speaking out in recent months stating that without improved intelligence, they are unable to adequately monitor activities in high-tension areas, such as the Ukraine and Islamic State (Isis) in the Middle East and Africa.
In March, US Air Force General Philip Breedlove stressed that more needed to be done to counter Russian support and influence over separatists in eastern Ukraine. He also echoed concerns from Nato that the cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk might not being adhered to.

"We do see the weapons moving. We do not know that they are moved off the battlefield but we know that they are moving," he told the Brussels Forum meeting of the German Marshall Fund.

"We continue to see disturbing evidence of air defence, command and control, resupply equipment coming across a completely porous border, so there are concerns whether Minsk is being followed or not."

Yet the cost of using drones is paid not only by the civilians and their families in countries where the US believes there is a terrorist threat, but also by the pilots that operate these missions.

To date, 1,200 first-generation drone operators have chosen to leave their positions once their service time has ended, and only a small number of them left to earn more in the private sector.

"Having our folks make that mental shift every day, driving into the gate and thinking, 'All right, I've got my war face on, and I'm going to the fight,' and then driving out of the gate and stopping at Walmart to pick up a carton of milk or going to the soccer game on the way home — and the fact that you can't talk about most of what you do at home — all those stressors together are what is putting pressure on the family, putting pressure on the airman," US Air Force 432nd Wing commander Col James Cluff told the New York Times in June.

"After something like that, you come home and have to make all the little choices about the kids' clothes or if you parked in the right place," added Bruce Black, a retired lieutenant general who was part of a team that watched Al Qaeda founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi for 600 hours before he was killed by a bomb from a manned aircraft.

"And after making life and death decisions all day, it doesn't matter. It's hard to care."

IBT

 

« Malaysian Police Work with Interpol & FBI to Foil Cyber Warfare Threat
Pentagon to Wage War on DDOS Attacks »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

IT Governance

IT Governance

IT Governance is a leading global provider of information security solutions. Download our free guide and find out how ISO 27001 can help protect your organisation's information.

Alvacomm

Alvacomm

Alvacomm offers holistic VIP cybersecurity services, providing comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Our solutions include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response.

CYRIN

CYRIN

CYRIN® Cyber Range. Real Tools, Real Attacks, Real Scenarios. See why leading educational institutions and companies in the U.S. have begun to adopt the CYRIN® system.

Authentic8

Authentic8

Authentic8 transforms how organizations secure and control the use of the web with Silo, its patented cloud browser.

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: What Is A Next-Generation Firewall (and why does it matter)?

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: What Is A Next-Generation Firewall (and why does it matter)?

Watch this webinar to hear security experts from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and SANS break down the myths and realities of what an NGFW is, how to use one, and what it can do for your security posture.

Bulb Security

Bulb Security

Whether your internal red team or penetration testing team needs training, or you lack internal resources and need an outsourced penetration test, Bulb Security can help.

Cyfor

Cyfor

Cyfor provides digital forensics and eDiscovery in civil, criminal, intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution investigations.

SentryBay

SentryBay

SentryBay is a real-time data security company developing technology for PC, mobile, the cloud and IoT.

Smoothwall

Smoothwall

Smoothwall develop intelligent web filtering, Monitoring and security solutions designed to protect users worldwide.

Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)

Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)

CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy.

CIO Dive

CIO Dive

CIO Dive provides news and analysis for IT executives in areas including IT strategy, cloud computing, cyber security, big data, AI, software, infrastructure, dev ops and more.

Me Learning

Me Learning

Me Learning provides engaging, informative and clearly explained learning materials for complex and challenging professional environments in areas including GDPR and Information Governance.

BioConnect

BioConnect

BioConnect provide biometric access control solutions to verify a person’s identity across physical, IOT and digital applications.

Plexal

Plexal

Plexal is East London's innovation centre and co-working space. We offer startups flexible memberships, giving them access to office space plus all the benefits and support they need to scale.

MagiQ Technologies

MagiQ Technologies

MagiQ produced the world’s first commercial quantum cryptography product that delivered advanced, future-proof network security.

Scarlett Cybersecurity

Scarlett Cybersecurity

Scarlett Cybersecurity provide cybersecurity services to US private and public organizations with specific emphasis on compliance and cybersecurity incident prevention, detection, and response.

IPKeys Technologies

IPKeys Technologies

IPKeys delivers innovative cybersecurity and technology solutions focused on helping the federal government reduce risk and protect the US from cyberattacks.

CoreStack

CoreStack

CoreStack helps enterprises overcome cloud challenges such as ever growing security risks, stringent regulatory compliance needs and operational complexities.

Heartland Business Systems (HBS)

Heartland Business Systems (HBS)

Heartland Business Systems serves commercial, public sector and small to medium business with results-driven and dedicated information technology services.

Nerds On Site

Nerds On Site

Nerds On Site provide on-site & in-home IT and technical support, managed IT services, and cyber security through our collaborative team of highly-trained IT and Security professionals.

CloudBees

CloudBees

CloudBees is building the world’s first end-to-end automated software delivery system, enabling companies to balance governance and developer freedom.