Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become signature weapon in the post 9/11 era and are used by the developed countries for civilian and military purposes. Developing countries are also engaged in the process of acquiring UAVs either through purchasing them from developed countries or through manufacturing their own indigenous drones. This proliferation of drones’ technology has made it imperative to study their usage and the features which are making them so attractive for the strategists of the modern times. This study analyzes the use of drone’s technology in the present times and the strategy of employing drones as a means of warfare from military perspective. Analysis reveals that drones or UAVs are used not only for surveillance and reconnaissance, but also for hitting the desired targets.. Being a citizen of a country which is experiencing drone attacks, it is need of the hour to study the main features of drones and the pros and cons of drone warfare by evaluating the role of UAVs in contemporary strategy making. Though the technology of unmanned warfare is not a new thing, but the use of drones for killing the terrorists in the ongoing war on terror has raised its significance. Empirical findings indicate that drones with their primary functions of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance are the ultimate weapon of choice for unconventional warfare without risking soldiers’ lives and to withstand dull, dirty, and dangerous environments with persistency.