Drones playing 'more important role'

[rug]

Drones have been used by the US and British military for many years, but are now fast becoming the focus for anti-war campaigners in both countries.



The MoD says the UK's Reapers are used solely over Afghanistan as part of the war there

27 April 2013 Last updated at 05:57 ET
By Caroline Wyatt
Defence correspondent, BBC News

Reaper aircraft were first brought in by the RAF for surveillance and reconnaissance missions over Afghanistan, but were later armed so they could also fire missiles and drop bombs.

The Ministry of Defence insists that they do so only rarely, and that the vast majority of missions - believed to be about 95% - remain surveillance for UK and coalition troops.

It also stresses that the UK's Reapers are used solely over Afghanistan as part of the war there - unlike US drones, which are also used under the controversial doctrine of "pre-emptive self-defence", for targeted killings over countries such as Pakistan and Yemen.

The RAF is not keen on the term "drone". It prefers the use of Remotely Piloted Air Systems to make clear that these are not autonomous systems: they still need a human being to fly and command the mission - and crucially, decide whether or not to use weapons, and whether a strike can take place under the UK's rules of engagement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22320767