Drone Shoot Down: The Flipside of UAVs

Iran claims to have shot down a US drone. They type of drone in question was developed to spy on Iranian and North Korean nuclear technology.

If the Iranian claims are true, it illustrates some often overlooked costs of drone technology. Drones are great for surveillance because they lack on-board pilots. Having pilots complicates things because they are exposed to harm or capture. Drones can also fly for much longer periods than many piloted aircraft.

These lower costs for drones likely makes political leaders more likely to authorize their use for surveillance (each flight is authorized by the White House, according to Marc Ambinder). More drone flights means more provocation, more that can be shot done, more incentive for the targets to better hide their activities. So over the longer run, the lower political costs of drones leads the US to use them more frequently, but also prompts more countermeasures by the targets. Not clear if this leaves anyone (other than pilots) better off.