“Does the US really want to tell those of us in the rest of the world that our lives are not of the same value as (theirs)?” — South African Nobel Prize winner, Archbishop Desmond Tutu [asked].
The first drone ever launched by the US was a secret illegal operation in Afghanistan, without permission from the host government. The second was a few weeks after, in the same way. Later, permission was achieved, after which the frequency sky-rocketed to weekly, then to dozens a week.
The deadly drone Patriot was such a success that the sorties spread to Pakistan and Iran. Until today, it is an established modus operandi in any war the US wages anywhere, and in global surveillance and espionage. US drones soared to the stratosphere. Bush had less than 50 drones. Obama now has 7,500 (Peter Bergen, CNN security analyst). It has evolved into a major US weapon, protecting US lives so effectively, as it takes out innocent civilians so profoundly.
The Pakistan government protested when a US drone killed dozens of civilians in just one sortie. Todate, the US has launched thousands of drones that have killed hundreds of civilians and dozens of rebels in many countries worldwide. Drones are now being labelled as the new WMD, potential if not actual. New America Foundation estimates US drone attacks to have killed between 1,900 and 3,200 people in Pakistan over the past eight years. Yet, Pakistan is requesting the US for drones.
China, the EU, Iran, Israel and 70 other nations now have drones. EU unveiled the Neuron, and China [has] a staggering 25 models. It is a catalyst to a faster arms race, and to World War III. Israel, world’s largest exporter, sold drones to Nigeria, Russia, and Mexico. The US now has export licenses for the deadly Patriot for Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and the UAR. The Teal Group estimates that the global drone R&D market may reach $11 billion in a decade. (Peter Bergen).
Libyan rebels got a drone dirt-cheap from Canada. Drones in the hands of terrorists or drug cartels is the next step. Philippine lawmakers are asking if the secret drone sorties by the US-AFP in Mindanao are in violation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). Deadly drones are now at our doorsteps. In fact, apocalypse may happen sooner because of the drone.
A Monster called Northrop Grumman X-47B
Enter a new technological phase which dramatically increases the WMD character of the drone — namely, the rapid global mobilization and deep penetration. US drones operating in the Middle East were mainly controlled via satellite thousands of kilometres away at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, or other secret locations in continental USA. The US has recently show-cased a new carrier-based drone, having a longer range, capable of deep penetration of territories of its enemies. It was recently unveiled in the Internet to perhaps send a message [to] its enemies.
The vast implications of this new drone monster are unimaginable. First, without the use of a foreign airfield, the US can now penetrate deep into Chinese territory to take out anti-access missiles, which may trigger a nuclear response, if seen as an all-out invasion, and if started by a trigger-happy Pentagon general. Second, the X-47B may eventually gradually make Top Gun pilots obsolete.
Third, the X-47B uses an Artificial Intelligence (AI) software that may dangerously nullify human control. During the test, two controllers aboard the nuclear aircraft USS George Bush used a fore-arm-mounted device to launch the X-47B. After launch, it does not have to be piloted by remote control because the AI takes over and decides everything for itself, course corrections, new directions, etc. The Pentagon promised it still needs human intervention to open fire, but in a desperate situation, a promise may not hold. We never really know. The ‘friendly fire’ drone blunders in Afghanistan and Pakistan prove that we are not ready for an AI super-drone. ‘Killer robots’ with faulty software triggering an accidental nuclear war are no longer just from a Hollywood screenplay.
It was a ‘successful’ launch, but not necessarily making it operational. The Pentagon argues the X-47B is just a prototype, and the test was only to gather data for its new drone program. But in reality, it can be secretly launched in the near future, which is the most scary part. The Navy has two operational drones presently. First is the relatively-harmless unarmed low-cost short-range Scan Eagle intended for surveillance.
Second is the armed short-range Fire Scout, built more like a helicopter. The Fire Scout, if placed on the mini-deck of a mini-carrier, called Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), meaning shore-hugging, will be deadly, and the Chinese know this. The LCS USS Freedom recently docked in Singapore, very near the China border. As long as there is a super-mobile stealth LCS with a Fire Scout, that can go near-shore, the need for the large-carrier-based longer-range X-47B is lessened. But in a large theatre of conflict, the long-range X-47B will have a critical role.