tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19245896.post3045632581802523902..comments2024-03-30T00:14:23.992+11:00Comments on Submarine Matters & Australian Nuclear Weapons: Reaper (Armed) Drones for Australia? Pete2http://www.blogger.com/profile/06134037393078707072noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19245896.post-46241771498997621202015-03-02T15:58:16.764+11:002015-03-02T15:58:16.764+11:00Thanks Anonymous for the encouragement.
Some extr...Thanks Anonymous for the encouragement.<br /><br />Some extra info:<br /><br />Only drones like the Reaper allow:<br /><br />- "Both the pilot and operator [to fall] asleep on the job." for hours - http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/24/drone-warfare-life-on-the-new-frontline <br /><br />- and play computer games on the job: pilot vs operators and wider games between Reaper teams - see http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/24/drone-warfare-life-on-the-new-frontline again:<br /><br />"Most controversially, some operators have described how simple digital games were sometimes smuggled onto the [drone piloting] operating systems at work. The software for Predators and Reapers was supposed to run on closed military systems – but at some point, it was realised that games created using Microsoft Excel could be imported.<br /><br />“One of my friends, he was brilliant when it came to breaking the rules. He created battleship games, chess games that you could play with another crew,” one former airman said. “You’d pull them up on your headset and you’d be playing against one member of the other crew while the other would typically be the referee.”<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />PetePetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02624742078679760819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19245896.post-39038250225593707932015-03-01T01:41:36.647+11:002015-03-01T01:41:36.647+11:00Your blog's name is VERY GOOD and it also prov...Your blog's name is VERY GOOD and it also provides good info.<br /><br />Thanks and keep it up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19245896.post-68999495485459758022015-02-27T18:07:29.778+11:002015-02-27T18:07:29.778+11:00Hi jbmoore
Yes the very nature of the US's po...Hi jbmoore<br /><br />Yes the very nature of the US's political leader (President) signing a kill list (called a "Finding"?) makes it political. Also the US military or CIA drone operators killing US citizens with or without the President's order doesn't seem right or legal.<br /><br />The increasingly used measure ratio of "civilian casualties" for every intentionally killed "target" is problematic because (as you indicate) the drone operators rarely know whether people carrying guns are extra body guards or just happen to be carrying weapons in the same village as the target.<br /><br />Another statistical or life and death issue comes up from double-triple counting of ratios. There may be 40 operators in a network operating to one drone sometimes. This may cause the target person and civilian casualties to be counted multiple times in studies - thus distorting human rights.<br /><br />An interesting article on multiple operators and other realities is http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/24/drone-warfare-life-on-the-new-frontline . <br /><br />PetePetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02624742078679760819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19245896.post-76132190632269973492015-02-27T01:03:48.013+11:002015-02-27T01:03:48.013+11:00Good article Pete. I think the moral issues are mo...Good article Pete. I think the moral issues are more political than martial. Mistakes will always be made. The problem with drone strikes currently is the Presidential kill list which allows the execution of American citizens and others without due process. Another issue is cultural. Afghans carry their weapons with them. So, you have a large tribal gathering for a wedding and a drone is above and suddenly the wedding turns into a mass funeral due to misidentification due to the assumption that any massing of armed people equals insurgents.jbmoorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09751110750712243573noreply@blogger.com