All Headline News July 6, 2006
UAVs Reshape Iraq's Battle Fields With a Peak Over The Horizon
By Jacob Cherian
Washington, DC (AHN) - Unmanned surveillance planes have changed how the war is fought in Iraq. The Army said that it had 14 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Iraq, prior to 2003. Currently, the armed forces have deployed 700 of them in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2003-2004, the Army flew the craft 1,500 hours/month, compared to 9,000 hours in the last month.
The scout planes save lives by sensing roadside bombs and insurgents. Pentagon officials report the Army can often get a sense of what goes on in the next hill or building from sensing data in these aircrafts.
Christopher Bolkcom, a defense expert for the Congressional Research Service told USA Today, "One can argue that the standard equipment for a Marine or infantryman now is the helmet, rifle, boots and UAV."
Col. John Burke, project manager for the Army's UAV program, said, "It's very seldom that you see a revolution in warfare like this."
However, John Pike, a military analyst at GlobalSecurity.org points out, "Collision avoidance is an issue that they haven't quite gotten the hang of yet."
Previously, the battle was fought by soldiers patrolling till they ran into the enemy. The UAVs allow the U.S. troops a peak over the horizon.
Pike added, "They have gone bonkers over them because they work."
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