Drones Have Changed Warfare Across the Globe

(Dec. 23) -- While the U.S. drone war over Pakistan sparks headlines, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are also playing important roles in other, less-noticed conflicts around the world. Indeed, as this survey shows, the dramatic increase in their use is not only changing modern warfare but creating a whole new source of geopolitical friction unto itself.

1) Colombia vs. Venezuela: It's not exactly a full-fledged drone war... at least not yet. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez this week accused its neighbor, Colombia, of sending a U.S.-built drone over his country's airspace on a reconnaissance mission. Chavez has promised that future incursions would result in those aircraft getting shot down. "Colombia doesn't have that capability," Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva responded, according to The Associated Press, when asked about the incident. The minister then suggested that perhaps Venezuela had "mistook Father Christmas' sleigh for a spy plane."

2) U.S. vs. Iraqi insurgents: Though the United States has used unmanned aircraft in a number of missions in Iraq, one of the most successful has been Task Force ODIN, an Army aviation battalion that uses drones to track insurgents planting improvised explosive devices. ODIN is credited with the death or capture of thousands of insurgents. (The United States' deployment of drones over Iraq itself extends back many years, including a historic moment in 2002, when an Iraqi MiG fighter faced off against a U.S. Predator drone armed with stinger missiles. The Iraqi jet won, shooting down the Predator, marking the first time a manned aircraft went head-to-head with an armed drone.)

3) Georgia vs. Russia: Another MiG, another downed drone. In April 2008, Russia shot down an Israeli-made drone flown by the former Soviet republic of Georgia over the separatist region of Abkhazia. The conflict soon escalated, and just a few months later, Georgia and Russia went to war for control of South Ossetia, another separatist region. In an ironic twist, even though Russia easily prevailed against Georgia's smaller military, Russian military leaders realized they lacked adequate UAVs. So Russia is now in the process of buying drones from Israel, the same country that supplied Georgia the aircraft shot down over Abkhazia.

4) Israel vs. Hamas: Israel has engaged in a controversial drone war in Gaza that has targeted members of Hamas involved in armed attacks against Israel. Hamas, for its part, has lobbed thousands of rockets into southern Israel, though the vast majority miss their mark. But Hamas has also reportedly attempted to build its own UAVs, following in the footsteps of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which bragged about the successful flight of its the Mirsad I over Israel in 2005. Though Hezbollah claimed to have built that unmanned aerial vehicle on its own, Israel says the technology came from Iran.


5) India vs. Pakistan: Both Pakistan and India have been expanding their drone technology in recent years while keeping a careful eye on the other side's capabilities. India has been buying advanced UAVs from Israel; Pakistan has been building an indigenous unmanned aircraft while also hoping -- so far with no luck -- that the United States will share some of its drone technology. There haven't been any high-profile drone incidents between the two countries, but Pakistan's air chief claimed earlier this year that Pakistan has previously shot down an Indian spy drone.

6) U.S. vs. Iran: Iran has been building up its drone capabilities for some time. It now claims to have unmanned aircraft with ranges of well over 600 miles, and earlier this year, U.S. aircraft shot down an Iranian UAV flying over Iraq. Press reports, in the meantime, have claimed the United States is using drones to collect intelligence on Iran, and aerospace experts suspect the recently confirmed "Beast of Kandahar" -- spotted in that Afghan city -- could be specifically for snooping on Iran's nuclear work.

7) Sudan vs. Darfur (and vs. Israel and Iran): Sudan's civil war, which has pitted government forces against opposition forces in Darfur, is one of the most complex drone conflicts ever. Last year, rebels in Darfur claimed that they shot down a drone flown by the Sudanese government. That drone, according to a report by Voice of America, may have been provided by Iran. More evidence for Iran's involvement came last month, when a U.N. report also linked Iran to the sanctions-busting sale of UAVs to the government of Sudan to keep tabs on Darfur. Those links to Iran have now brought another possible country into this drone conflict: Earlier this year, Israel reportedly used an armed UAV to attack what was believed to be an Iranian arms convoy traveling through Sudan.

8) U.S. vs. al-Qaida/Taliban: In sheer numbers and geographic reach, the United States' expanding drone war against al-Qaida and Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan is no doubt the world's most significant drone war. Though the Taliban and al-Qaida aren't fighting back with their own UAVs, they may be finding other low-cost ways to beat the high-tech systems, such as the use of $26 commercial software to hack into live video feeds taken by U.S. drones. And therein lies a lesson: The drone wars of the future may not come down to who builds the better aircraft.