These popular, unmanned aircraft will eventually fall into the hands of hostile nations and terrorists
Some are as large and fast as commercial airplanes. Some are blimps that sit in the sky, surveying broad swaths of territory. Others flit around imperceptibly, like birds or insects, recording videos and landing themselves.
Unmanned aircraft have transformed the way the U.S. wages war, making it possible to gather unprecedented amounts of aerial imagery using nearly undetectable platforms and to strike at targets without putting pilots at risk. But it would be naive to assume drones will only be used to safeguard U.S. interests. As they continue to become smaller, cheaper and more
numerous, drones will become easier for hostile nations, and perhaps even terrorists, to get their hands on. To think otherwise would be to disregard the history of military technology. Many countries, including Israel, China and Iran, are developing, using and selling drones, and global spending on drones is expected to approach $100 billion over the next 10 years.
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