On the subject of drones, all other things aside - Isn't it better to have drones than to have actual attack aircraft in the skies? Even with their sniper pods and all that stuff, they fly at incredible speeds and don't have the overview that would naturally come from flying a slower and more maneuverable aircraft like a drone. Without the drones, they wouldn't be able to strike as often and precisely, and given the overview thingy, I think civilian deaths would be even higher per strike.
:facepalm:
The thing about drone operations is that using one in support of ground troops is quite reasonable. After all, eyes in the sky can make a bit of difference, as can something that can engage targets without giving away the troop's position.
But.
If all you have are drones, if the only way to do target identification/verification is through a drone's onboard systems, the risk of killing innocents is much increased, especially considering that piloting a drone removes many of the inhibitions most people, soldiers included, have when being asked to kill people.
Armed Drones are a weapons system that has to be used responsibly. Blowing up things without being able to make a good confirmation of the attacks' effectiveness is not a good habit to get into.
