Rise of the Drones: Unmanned Systems and the Future of War: One Hundred Eleventh Congress, Second Session, March 23, 2010

Our hearing today introduces a new topic to the subcommittee, the rise of unmanned systems and their implications for U.S. National security. Over the last decade, the number of unmanned systems and their applications has grown rapidly. So, too, has the number of operational, political and legal questions associated with the technology. Growing demand for and the reliance on unmanned systems has serious implications both on and off the battlefield. As the United States is engaged in two wars abroad, unmanned systems, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles, have become a centerpiece of that war effort.