The Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - Term Paper Example

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAVs) By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Table of Contents Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Abstract Aircrafts that are remotely piloted normally recognized as drones are non-passenger aircraft flown remotely and range from long endurance systems to short-range systems. Even though unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) have been utilized for many years, they have recently increased in number as well as effectiveness as automation technologies, sensor and aircraft continue advancing. Besides that, the UAVs potential benefits have extended well beyond the military application to various commercial and domestic applications; thus, improving the safety of the people, making public services stronger and has brought about various benefits to government and commercial organizations. Akin to other participants in aviation, UAVs pilots must understand a number of safety rules, so that all and sundry on the ground as well as in the air, arrive at their destination safely and no aircraft is destroyed. The report provides a critical analysis of the current appearance and uses of UAV's and their environmental impact. Introduction Basically, UAVs are either launched independently or controlled from the ground, pre-programmed for a specific mission. Since they are unmanned, their air presence is long than the passenger aircrafts and presents no risk or danger to the pilots (Brooke-Holland, 2015, p.6). Besides that, they are an economical military alternative based on their running and production costs. Drones are secure and safe option for a country since with fewer military casualties as well as fatalities it becomes easier to earn the public confidence at the time of military intervention as well as war. Drones are used for various purposes; for instance, a number of UAVs are utilized for surveillance or reconnaissance while others are armed with bombs as well as missiles. Other UAVs are created to be used for purposes of national security, especially in ‘war against terror’. Essentially, governments such as United States use drones for missions such as striking suspected terrorist while other countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan use drones for patrols to monitor the communities’ daily activities to identify potential rebels or to search for suspicious activity. Appearance The drones most appear in different forms (the Reaper or Predator), and has brought about more confused, hyperactive, fervent, lively and cultural response as compared to the latest military technology. According to Michel (2015), the drone has been caricatured, parodied, criticised as well as fetishized in different media and outlets, which includes Hollywood epics, cartoons, gallery art, as well as the Correspondent’s dinner at the White House. Although most Americans currently own hobby drones, the concept of drone as a self-directed killing machine is still persistent. Most people find it challenging to differentiate civilian and military UAVs, but still they are receptive to drones portrayals. As drones turn out to be more and more common in day to day life, there will be a popular culture reaction to the technology; thus, becoming more nuanced and less frenzied (Michel, 2015). People in the future will learn how to differentiate between Predator drones and Amazon drones. Uses There are many uses of UAVs; for instance, they are used in search and rescue operations considering that during a disaster, helicopters and planes need more time for deployment preparations while a UAV is prompt and needs no time for preparations (Hay, 2015). Drones facilitate the transfer of data in real time, and have eliminated the need for support personnel such as firefighters to go into the danger zone so as to assess the situation since drones can do the task. Besides that, drones are used for inspection thanks to their structure and size; therefore, they can be used to inspect electricity supply, oil and gas from the air. Rather than outsourcing the inspections services, companies are using UAVs for inspections. Furthermore, UAVs are used for security considering that civil security has become increasingly important in the current world. Drones are used by different countries to protect the public from threats like terrorist attacks as well as in identification of crimes (Taylor, 2013). Using microdrones such as RPAS is easy and takes less time for the operator to learn how to move them around, thereby making them suitable for air support. Another use of UAVs is surveillance where government can use them to monitor protests, Money laundering, public events, and so forth devoid of being heard or seen (ABC, 2012). Drones are also used for science and research, especially for areas that were hard to reach with traditional tools such as observing and recording a volcanic eruption or documenting an archaeological excavation from the sky. They are also utilized for aerial photography and video as well as creating maps and grids without much effort. Environmental Impact Drones have negative impact on the environment considering that the damage brought about by drone strikes is somewhat akin to the destructive impact of missile strikes dispatched by manned systems.  For instance, in the 1991 Iraq aerial at the time of the first Gulf War, missiles weighing 340 tons that had depleted uranium was used by US, resulting in contamination of Iraqi water and soil due to the residue left behind by such attacks together with the trichloroethylene as well as benzene from air operations (Gutierrez & Deng, 2012). Basically, chemical components in both unmanned and manned missiles, the frequent use of these munitions have harmed the ecosystem greatly.  Residual chemicals released to the atmosphere by drones negatively affect migratory as evidenced by the number of birds flying in Iraq, which since1991 have reduced by almost 85 per cent. Besides that, drone strikes attacks on oil pipelines can result in environmental degradation as demonstrate by the first Gulf War in Iraq and Kuwait when environmental was largely affected by the burning oil wells. Besides that, attacks by drones on oil pipelines can result in water contamination, resulting in more negative effects to the public health by means of food and water supplies. Safety Issues So as to avoid collisions, drones must be able to detect as well as avoid as other aircraft while in the air considering that the potential ground impacts of drones are similarly as dangerous as collisions in the air. System failure of UAVs can have an effect on the populated area and in case of an accident their debris can infiltrate shelters and fatally injure people on the ground (Weibel, 2005). Every flight, unmanned or manned, is related to some risk; therefore, safety decrees two key requirements for UAVs pilots: they have to be skilled in communicating with other airspace assets as well as controlling the drone. This points out the need for suitable ground training as well as automation in order that drones operators (pilots) can avoid ground and mid-air impacts safely. Regrettably the versatility and utility of UAVs have been discovered also by criminal groups who are using them for malevolent undertakings. For instance, drug cartels between Mexican and US borders are using drones as means of transferring illegal drugs. Drones have also been used to smuggle drugs as well as other contraband into prisons in US, Russia and other countries. Such events have left police officers with worries concerning the criminal utilisation of drones. Regulation In spite of the growing research as well as attention, generating registration, implementation as well as operating procedures that are standard, working with the current regulatory system is a discouraging task. The 2012 Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act (H.R. 658) mandate the establishment of rules for operation as well as certification of drones, improving the aviation capacity as well as safety, and oversee drones total integration (Yin, 2012). Presently, only organisations or individuals with Special Airworthiness Certificates are allowed to operate UAVs within the public airspace. Because of the UAVs inability to abide by ‘see and avoid’ rules as done by manned aircraft operations, an escorting ‘chase’ aircraft or a visual observer have to be used so as to maintain a visual contact with the drones. Pilot qualifications Currently, there are no existing RPA pilot licenses acknowledged by the aviation law. Still, it is imperative that all aircraft pilots have basic knowledge of regulations that are applicable, especially the Rules of the Air Regulation as well as Air Navigation Order. All UAVs operators must demonstrate pilot competence before they are issued with operating permission. Security Issues Basically, security of the data link infrastructure as well as ground control stations are important integration requirement for UAVs. Bearing in mind that, if UAVs are manipulated easily by outsiders the impact may be unwelcoming; for instance, terrorists can possibly use UAVs for surveillance or to attack. Considering that the number of non-military and civilians UAVs are increasing, it is crucial for governments to address the security issues so as to ensure the safety of the skies. UAVs are vulnerable to spoof attacks, and advancing technologies are making it hard to detect a GPS data that has been modified (Hartmann & Steup, 2013 , p.7). When the drone is secure, it can reduce the risks of deadly impacts, but a drone vulnerable to CDL interference as well as GPS manipulation can be more treacherous. Privacy Issues UAVs are raising a wider range of issues associated with the gathering, retention, application, disclosure as well as destruction of private information. Inappropriate utilisation of drones can result to violation of privacy; thus, suggesting a need for safety measure personalised so as to prevent infringements into liberty and privacy (Cavoukian, 2012, p.10). Privacy challenges are presented by UAVs because of the way through which they can gather information. Persistent surveillance by drones undermines the creation of a sense of direction, and this is for the reason that pervasive surveillance are inclined to shape the personalities, thoughts and actions of people being observed. Conclusion In conclusion, the report has offered a critical analysis of the current appearance and uses of UAV's and their environmental impact. As discussed in the report, the multifaceted issues surrounding UAVs integration into the airspace and all of these issues need regulatory efforts as well as significant research so as to meet the standards of privacy, security and safety. So as to guarantee UAVs security, exploitable flaws UAVs must be reduced. The commercial application of drones has increased tremendously, especially in the inspection of power lines as well as real estate aerial photography. Still, drones present numerous safety, security, and privacy issues, especially those operating in areas that are densely-populated and controlled airspace. As discussed in the essay, even though drones can be used for various applications such as search and rescue, surveillance and inspection, it brings about issues associated with security, privacy, safety, and regulation. 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Safety Considerations for Operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the National Airspace System. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "%20http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34912" http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/34912 [Accessed 13 October 2015]. Yin, S., 2012. Civilian Drones: Small, Cheap, and Easy to Hack. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/none/300328-civilian-drones-small-cheap-and-easy-to-hack" http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/none/300328-civilian-drones-small-cheap-and-easy-to-hack [Accessed 13 October 2015]. Read More