Investigation Finds U.S. Military Drones Have Flown Close to 3 Million Hours

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http://www.alternet.org/world/152925/investigation_finds_u.s._military_drones_have_flown_close_to_3_million_hours/

November 1, 2011 |

They fly over Africa, Asia and Europe, as well as North and South America. Some are literally thrown into the air by human hands. Others take off like traditional airplanes. Some carry only simple video cameras. Then there are those packing 3,750 pounds worth of bombs and missiles whose operators “fly” the planes from air-conditioned trailers located thousands of miles from the war zone.

U.S. military drone missions have become ubiquitous in the decade since 9/11. What were novel operations in the early Bush years have become, in the Obama era, a regular feature of American warfare. Today, U.S. unmanned aerial systems are constantly in the air all around the world and with increasing regularity, in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya, hunting and killing suspected militants. An investigation by AlterNet finds that the number of hours flown by U.S. military drones is far greater than is generally acknowledged. According to statistics provided by the Army, Navy and Air Force, remotely piloted aircraft have logged around 2.7 million flight hours during the current era of drone warfare. More than 87 percent of the time, these drones have been involved in combat.




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