What do drones mean for the future of warfare?
The Briefing Room
BBC
4.8 • 731 Ratings
🗓️ 17 February 2022
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A few weeks ago a rebel group without an air-force managed to attack a foreign airport 1,000 miles away....from the air using drones. And theoretically what the Yemeni insurgents did in Abu Dhabi is repeatable the world over. Indeed is being repeated. Meanwhile drones are often the weapon of choice for major powers operating a long way from home. So are drones transforming the way conflicts are fought, to what extent is that a bad thing, and what can be done about it?
David Aaronovitch talks to:
Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, Professor of War Studies at Loughborough University Dr James Rogers, Assistant Professor at the Centre for War Studies in Odense, Denmark Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The Economist Dr Sarah Kreps, Director of the Tech Policy Lab at Cornell University
Producers: Rosamund Jones and Ben Carter Editor: Richard Vadon Production co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed and Sophie Hill Sound engineer: Graham Puddifoot
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the briefing room with me, David Aronovich. |
| 0:02.5 | The briefing room is the corner of the metaverse, |
| 0:05.1 | where you, me and the top experts get together to understand a big issue of the day. |
| 0:10.4 | This week, any rebel group can afford one. |
| 0:13.8 | So drones are changing the nature of warfare. |
| 0:16.7 | What will it mean? |
| 0:17.8 | And can anything be done about it? |
| 0:21.6 | A few weeks ago, a rebel group without an air force managed to attack from the air a foreign airport 1,000 miles away, |
| 0:30.6 | using drones. |
| 0:32.6 | And theoretically, what the Yemeni insurgents did in Abu Dhabi is repeatable the world over. |
| 0:38.7 | Indeed, it is being repeated. |
| 0:40.8 | Meanwhile, drones are often the weapon of choice for major powers |
| 0:44.0 | operating a long way from home. |
| 0:46.4 | So are drones transforming the way conflicts are fought? |
| 0:50.2 | To what extent is that a bad thing? |
| 0:52.5 | And what can be done about it? |
| 0:54.3 | Step inside the briefing room and together we'll find out. |
| 0:59.3 | Before we explore the use of drones now and peer into the future, |
| 1:03.4 | the briefing room's Ben Carter spoke to Professor Caroline Kennedy Pipe |
| 1:07.1 | about their development and growing influence in recent wars. |
| 1:14.2 | Drones, remotely piloted machines also referred to as UAVs or uncrewed aerial vehicles. |
| 1:22.8 | They can be as big as a jumbo jet or as a hummingbird that can fit in the palm of your hand. |
... |
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