Drones are aircraft without pilots on board. They might be large or tiny, and they can be controlled from thousands of miles away. Drones are being used more and more. You might have seen toy drones. They are used for lots of things like weather forecasts and making deliveries, but the armed forces use them to fight wars.

“Armed” drones can be used to carry and fire weapons- missiles and bombs- at people on the ground. These are being used more and more.

In 2015, the United Kingdom has 10 armed “Reaper” drones which were bought from the United States of America. The USA itself has many more than 200 “Reaper” and “Predator” drones.

Royal Air Force pilots have flown armed drones in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and Syria. American drones are also being used in Yemen and Pakistan (as well as the counties above). RAF Drones are controlled from RAF Waddington and Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, USA.Drone strikes have also been used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.

Drones can be used to fight war with no risks. There are no soldiers or ‘boots on the ground’- the pilot is safe thousands of miles away in an air-conditioned room.

The UK and the USA say they use drones for “counter-terrorism”, killing terrorists around the world from groups like al-Qaeda.

Drones are supposed to make pinpoint air strikes to kill enemies without hurting ordinary civilians. But “civilians” and “militants” can get mixed up- can you tell from up in the sky who’s who? The UK and the USA do not give out all the information about whom they have killed, where, when or why. In countries like Afghanistan, people feel angry and afraid about drones. Drones can stay up for hours, never getting tired. A strike could come at any time. For the children and adults going about their lives, this threat is always in the back of their minds. Clear blue skies are particularly feared as that is when drone strikes are most likely.