Drones

ON TOPIC

The use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in war and counter-terrorism operations remains a highly controversial issue both domestically and abroad. A recent string of events, however—including a leaked Justice Department document, the discovery of a secret drone base in Saudi Arabia, and the Obama administration's admission that it has killed four American citizens in drone strikes—has kept the issue at the forefront. As the debate over the ethics and constitutionality of drone warfare takes center stage, Brookings experts examine the legal and political implications of drone technology.

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - U.S. President Barack Obama watches students demonstrate a robot at Manor New Tech High School in Austin, Texas, May 9, 2013.

Interview

Who Are the Winners and Losers in the Drone Industry?

September 11, 2013, Peter W. Singer

As part of Slate's Drone U discussion series, Peter Singer addresses questions revolving around the winners and losers in drone technology. Singer covers topics from the robotics boom, to building code, to domestic use of drones among others.

Recent Activity

Refine by: Military Technology | Terrorism | Defense and Security | U.S. Military Affairs

Interview | Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Future of Military Unmanned Ground Vehicles

August 12, 2013, Peter W. Singer
Interview | Charlie Rose

A Discussion About Drones

March 29, 2013, Peter W. Singer
Expert Q & A | Akbar Ahmed

America's War on Terror Is Now a War Against Tribal Islam

March 25, 2013, Akbar Ahmed
In the News

The airspace [for the FAA's six drone test sites], under the current schedule, opens up [in] 2015...and so we will see one of the most fundamental shifts in who and how you can use the airspace above us.
February 26, 2013, Peter W. Singer, National Public Radio
Interview | NPR

It's Time to Recognize the Valor of Cyber Warriors

February 19, 2013, Peter W. Singer
In the News

The question of where a homeowner's control of airspace stops and public airspace begins is already complex. Adding claims by state government to the mix makes it even messier.
January 31, 2013, John Villasenor, U.S. News & World Report
Expert Q & A | Peter W. Singer

The Big Bet: New Rules of War

January 23, 2013, Peter W. Singer
In the News

Obviously when you have an unmanned aircraft, there is no risk of a pilot being shot down and killed or captured in hostile territory, so these unmanned aircraft make it possible to conduct operations in places where you wouldn't want to put a human pilot at risk.
December 4, 2012, John Villasenor, Globe and Mail
In the News

If it's lawful, ethical and moral to use force, then it's lawful, ethical and moral to use drones.
December 1, 2012, Benjamin Wittes, New Zealand Herald
Interview | PBS Need to Know

Drones in Pakistan

September 14, 2012, Peter W. Singer