War by remote control, how drones changed modern warfare
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This episode of Throughline explores the evolution and impact of drone warfare, tracing its origins from the early 20th century to the present day. Beginning with the Wright brothers' first flight and the U.S. military's post-WWI quest to reduce casualties through air power, the narrative unfolds through key milestones: the failed Kettering Bug, the precision bombing doctrine of WWII, and the Vietnam War's use of reconnaissance drones like the Ryan Firebee. The Gulf War marked a turning point, where drones enabled real-time surveillance and precision strikes, culminating in the first recorded surrender to a drone. The episode then examines the rise of armed drones like the Predator, which became central to U.S. counterterrorism operations under Presidents Bush and Obama. While marketed as a way to minimize American casualties, the drone program led to widespread civilian deaths, controversial signature strikes, and ethical dilemmas—especially when targeting U.S. citizens like Anwar al-Awlaki. The episode concludes with the assassination of Qasem Soleimani by a drone strike in Iraq, raising profound questions about sovereignty, international law, and the future of warfare. As drones proliferate globally, the episode warns that 'war by remote control' has fundamentally altered how nations wage conflict—and how societies perceive it.
Drones were conceived as a way to reduce American casualties, but have instead enabled prolonged, low-risk warfare with high civilian costs.
The promise of precision bombing has often been undermined by flawed intelligence, leading to widespread collateral damage and ethical violations.
The shift from piloted aircraft to remote drone warfare has created a psychological and democratic disconnect from the realities of war.
Signature strikes based on behavioral patterns rather than confirmed identities have led to numerous civilian deaths and human rights concerns.
The assassination of Qasem Soleimani set a dangerous precedent: killing foreign military leaders in third-party countries without consent.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Rise of Drone Dominance
“Drone dominance isn't just a buzzword. It's the Defense Department initiative to scale up its drone program. And the money being requested has been called, quote, the largest single commitment to autonomous warfare in history.”
The Birth of Remote Warfare
“The intention there was to separate the human from the practice of killing, to separate American troops from having to be sacrificed in war. Robots, remote systems, systems that could be sent off to go and kill the enemy without putting American service personnel at risk.”
Precision and Its Paradox
The episode examines the contradiction between the promise of precision bombing and its real-world outcomes. While designed to minimize civilian harm, precision weapons were used in massive area bombings like Tokyo and Hiroshima. The Norden bombsight, intended for ethical targeting, became a tool for mass destruction, revealing how good intentions can lead to catastrophic results.
The Drone Revolution in Modern War
“When Saddam's troops saw drones flying high above them, they knew that it meant certain death and certain destruction was coming. And so they tried to surrender to the drones in the sky. It's the first time in the history of warfare that you had a human try and surrender to a robot.”
The Obama Era and the Drone Presidency
“The range for civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes are in the hundreds to a couple thousand. In a leaked Defense Department document... it was reported that between 2012 and 2013, U.S. Special Operations airstrikes killed more than 200 people. Of those, only 35 were the intended targets.”
“The precedent that is set here is that it is okay to kill representatives of a nation state by lethal drone strike in nations of a third party without their approval. What does that mean for the future of drone warfare?”
“The range for civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes are in the hundreds to a couple thousand. In a leaked Defense Department document... it was reported that between 2012 and 2013, U.S. Special Operations airstrikes killed more than 200 people. Of those, only 35 were the intended targets.”
“The intention there was to separate the human from the practice of killing, to separate American troops from having to be sacrificed in war. Robots, remote systems, systems that could be sent off to go and kill the enemy without putting American service personnel at risk.”
Host
Guest
Afghanistan
place
Predator Drone
other
Iraq
place
Barack Obama
person
James Rogers
person
Kettering Bug
other
Norden Bombsite
other
U.S. Department of Defense
organization
Qasem Soleimani
person
Yemen
place
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