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Positive and negative effects of drones

Lately, drones have received a lot of publicity and their usage has received a lot of speculations. Drones are known by a number of different names such as“Killer Drone” and “Attack Drone”. Depending on their area and purpose of use, they are often also known as Spy or Surveillance Drones. The very first fact to be understood about drones is that their usage has some restrictions and a few norms are to be followed by the user in order to ensure that it does not violate any privacy rules and rights of a country or an individual. Drones come in various sizes and below are some of the positives as well as negatives of drones.

Drones are becoming more & more portable.

Positives of Drones

  1. Low cost: Drones are comparatively cheaper as compared to airplanes and needless to say, the cost of buying, fueling, maintaining as well as storing drones is much less as compared to helicopters and airplanes.
  2. Equally lethal: The use of drones for lethal purposes can cause the same amount of destruction and chaos as caused by an airplane.
  3. Low risk: Drones are certainly less risky to military hardware because these are comparatively smaller than airplanes. Drones also fly at lower altitudes than airplanes.
  4. Accuracy: Drones have more pinpoint accuracy even from very far away distances. This helps in reducing unnecessary harm to infrastructure and civilians.
  5. Drones are life saving: With the use of drones, there is no need for any military official to be a part of the combat; hence it saves lives as well.
  6. Longer operational hours: Drones are capable of staying in operation for longer hours as compared to airplanes, that too without a human pilot. There is no scope of fatigue and drone operators as well as pilots can easily hand off controls without affecting the operational downtime of the drone.
  7. Effective for spying: With the help of drones, there has been an increase in surveillance and military intelligence.

Negatives of Drones

  1. Drones have limited abilities: Drones are unable to communicate with civilians for increased information and detailed intelligence. Drones are also unable to detect military base camps, surrendering military personnel and abandoned hardware. They also cannot go door to door.
  2. Too easy to operate: Video games and done warfare have too many similarities; hence making the use of drones too easy and accessible for civilians.
  3. Loss of civilian lives: Often drone combats result in loss of innocent civilian lives and property.
  4. Disrupts balance between work and personal life: Drone operators and pilots often find it difficult to switch conformably between their drone- combating professional lives as well as personal lives as a civilian. This becomes more difficult when drone pilots have very little time off their jobs.
  5. When drones are taken over by enemies: Scenarios where one or more drones are taken over by the enemies are too dangerous.

Militaries all across the globe are using drones because they believe that its advantage certainly overpower its disadvantages.

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