Drones and Unmanned Vehicles in Combat

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have reshaped battlefield tactics and dynamics in recent years. However, the history unmanned aerial vehicles dates all the way back to the 19th century. The earliest recorded use of an UAV took place in July 1849 serving as a balloon carrier—basically an aircraft carrier for hot air balloons. Austrian forces used around 200 balloons, each carrying a bomb with a timed fuse, that was going to be dropped over Venice. However rather unfortunately, the wind changed directions after launch, so most of the balloons missed their targets with some even drifting back over Austrian lines

The first pilotless aircraft were built during the first World War and were known as “flying bombs,” which were the precursor to modern cruise missiles. After World War I, many different nations began experimenting with drone technology, notably with the United States Navy and radio-controlled aircraft. By World War II, many different models and variations of UAVs could be seen on the battlefield including the Radioplane OQ-2 and the Culver PQ-14 Cadet.

During the many subsequent wars and conflicts, drones continued improving, becoming cheaper and more effective. More recently, drones have made it into the news with there frequent use in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Furthermore, UAVs are also starting to be used in the American conflict with Iran and its proxies in the Middle East. 60 Minutes recently had an episode on war drones and interviewed some Ukrainian officials including Oleksandr Kamyshin, the adviser to the president of Ukraine for strategic affairs.

In conclusion, UAVs are a technology that has evolved over time, going from a unpredictable hazard to an unstoppable force. As we begin to see more drones with more intelligent instructions and behaviors, warfare as we know it might change into something mirroring the droid armies from Star Wars. Either way, drones will continue advancing and have the potential to drastically change how conflicts and warfare is handled.

Sources:

http://researchcentre.army.gov.au/library/land-power-forum/how-are-drones-changing-modern-warfare

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_unmanned_aerial_vehicles?scrlybrkr=c5d533c5

https://cepa.org/article/how-are-drones-changing-war-the-future-of-the-battlefield/