Drones: America's New Air Force

60 Minutes' Lara Logan Reports On The Increasing Use Of Drones In The Battlefield

(CBS)  This story was first published on May 10, 2009. It was updated on Aug. 14, 2009.

Every so often in the history of war, a new weapon comes along that fundamentally rewrites the rules of battle. This is a story about a revolution in unmanned aviation that is doing just that.

Most people know them as drones; the Air Force calls them "unmanned aerial vehicles." And right now, there are dozens of them in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan, hunting down insurgents, every minute of every day.

They've become one of the most important planes in the United States Air Force - and yet, the pilot is nowhere near the aircraft or the battlefield. They are controlled by remote control, from thousands of miles away.

As we first reported in May, many of the details of this weapons program are classified, but our 60 Minutes team was given secret clearance and unprecedented access to bring you this story.

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Forty-five miles north of Las Vegas, on the edge of the Mojave desert, is Creech Air Force base. It is home to the only wing in the Air Force where none of the pilots ever leave the ground.

Colonel Chris Chambliss was one of the top F-16 fighter pilots in the Air Force, a member of the legendary Thunderbirds. Now the unit he commands has no jets - just pilotless planes known as the Reaper and the Predator.

Creech is the first base in Air Force history that exclusively flies unmanned aircraft.

"Right now, sitting here at Creech, we are about 7,500 miles away from the battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan. How close though is this base to the fight that's going on there?" correspondent Lara Logan asked Col. Chambliss.

"I don't think we're 7,500 miles away at all," he replied. "I think if you walk out the hangar and you go into one of the ground control stations, you're in the fight."

The fight for the pilots is on a video screen. In one mission, a truck full of insurgents in Afghanistan was being tracked by the pilot. When the ground commander gave the order, a missile was fired, hitting its target.

The trigger is pulled in Nevada, inside cramped, single-wide trailers and small offices. Two hundred and fifty pilots work in shifts around the clock. Alongside each one of them is a crew member who operates the plane's onboard camera, and a behind-the-scenes team of intelligence analysts.

The planes aren't launched at Creech Air Force Base. They take off from locations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and crews in Nevada take control by satellite once the aircraft is several thousand feet in the air.

What the pilots see is a real-time view of the battlefield from thousands of feet in the air, beamed back live from cameras mounted on the unmanned planes. It's what the soldiers on the ground call their "eyes in the sky."

"I'm living the same fight as those guys. Or at least I'm seeing the same fight," Lieutenant Colonel Chris Gough, who flew F-16 combat missions over Kosovo, explained.

Now he flies combat missions over Afghanistan, by remote control.

"There are arguments that we aren't as engaged in the war. I've heard those arguments. And I can tell you that - and I'm happy to tell ya - that I've never been more engaged in a conflict in my life," he told Logan.

And he's never been safer. Lt. Col. Gough sits half a world away from the war zone.

"Physiologically, the stimulus and response, exactly the same. I'm not going 400 miles an hour, which means when I pull the stick, I don't get 5 G's on my body. I have much more ability to process and to comprehend what's going on on the battlefield and the information just conveyed to me, and better relay that information to who needs it," Gough explained.

Asked if it is stressful, he told Logan, "Terribly."

And terribly in demand - soldiers on the ground have come to depend on it.

"I've heard the guys say - you know, they don't want to step out the door without eyes in the sky," Logan remarked.

"Sure, I have a brother who's an Army Special Forces. And honestly I wouldn't want him stepping out the door without this thing over the top of him either," Gough replied.

The Air Force now has 28 Reapers, each one costing about $11 million. It can fly as high as 50,000 feet, sit over a target for 15 hours straight, and is as dangerous as a fighter jet.

The Reaper is the Air Force's newest and most lethal unmanned plane, carrying 500 lb. bombs and Hellfire missiles.

[renegadewaiter]

This is a total propaganda piece for the U.S. military and the Air Force drone program. The reporter never comes close to holding them to account for all the civilian deaths they?ve caused in Afghanistan and Pakistan, focusing mainly on the drones surveillance missions. There is no accounting of the many civilian casualties the drones have caused, and the eventual brief mention of the deaths of innocents portrays them as mere allegations of Afghans and Pakistanis rather than verifiable fact. Also never addressed is the morality of sitting in a room outside Las Vegas and deciding who lives and who dies on the other side of the world with the push of a button, the ?bravery of being out of range? as Roger Waters put it:

?What if you get it wrong?? [60 Minutes' Lara] Logan asked.

?We don?t,? [ Lieutenant Colonel Chris ] Gough replied.

?Ever?? Logan asked.

As if she?s not a reporter armed with the facts on civilian deaths attributed to the drones. The Lieutenant continues:

?That?s a tough question,? Gough said after a pause. ?Yeah. We have the resources to make sure we?re right. In battle, in combat, in the fog and friction of war, there are always gonna be times that your judgment isn?t with hindsight, you can see things with more clarity.?

?But you?re not there in the fog and friction of war. You?re sitting here in your cockpit in Nevada,? Logan remarked.

?And that?s what makes us more powerful and have that clarity, because I?m able to distance myself from the fight and use resources that are otherwise unattainable to the combatants,? Gough replied.

In spite of that clarity, unmanned planes and Air Force jets are criticized in Afghanistan for killing innocent civilians.

Across the border in Pakistan, where the CIA operates, they?re blamed for even more deaths.

60 Minutes lets the Air Force off the hook. They should have said. ?In spite of that clarity, unmanned planes and Air Force jets killed innocent civilians. Across the border in Pakistan, where the CIA operates, they?re caused even more deaths.

Probably the worst thing about this report is reporter Logan?s breathless tone as she marvels at this wonderous program in modern remote control slaughter.

[kemarnell]

I saw the short feature report on 60 minutes and was shocked by the use of drones that can be operated from a base in the Mojave Desert and with operators (former fighter pilots) directing their weapons from a distance of seventy-five hundred miles away. The safety and impersonal nature of the operation seems more like a game since you can go home and have dinner with the family after work. Making war with such weapons adds to the ease in accepting such decisions since you are not directly or personally involved with the results for your actions and the horror and revulsion you would witness. I think this is similar to other long distance bombing from manned planes, artillery or warships, but it adds a layer of security for the operators since you don't know where they might be. Like nuclear weapons, which we have tried to control unsuccessfully, this new weapon should be stopped before it becomes the latest menace to world peace.

[estai777]

It is all very sick. Drones were used on 9/11 also.

[BlackEye77]

America?s New Airfarce ? a 60 Minutes Secret Exclusive!

I have seen some lame shows purporting to be based on news reporting, but this has to be the worst. Hosted by USC song girl wanna be, Laura Logan, who sat with rapt attention in awe and wonder listening to the droning of U.S. Air force personnel, it?s a no wonder the propaganda arm of the USAF gave 60 minutes the red carpet for their ?secret? access. Free advertisement for the ?new? recruits mentioned toward the end of the ?report.?

Gosh, as a taxpayer, I am thrilled to learn of our military ?progress.? Another oxymoron like military intelligence. We should be so proud that such ?innovation? is made in the U.S.A ? after all, arms are our number one export (after torture victims). The further away from man-to-man combat you get, the easier it is to perpetuate the constant ?war? paradigm.

Doesn?t ?fighting wars? by remote control strike any of the brainiacs featured on this episode as sci-fi right out of the Terminator and 1984? Those books/films are written as WARNINGS, not as blueprints for the success of humanity. Is this really the way you want to live? Don?t you find the thinking behind all of this primitive and a bit ironic for you to sell it as ?progress?? The evolution of military hardware is the de-evolution of man. Do you really support endless conflict with ever-newer, more expensive weapons as the resolution?

In our non-democratic system of government run by a duopoly of dupes, why do you celebrate giving these anti-heroes favorable airtime? Both media-sanctioned parties can?t say, ?support the troops? enough. Heroes fight for our freedom? Military personnel of all sovereignties are the lowest common denominator, the last line of defense against corrupt politicians. Glorification of grunts is a con to get the emotionally unstable, financially disadvataged, and politically naïve to enlist. Do you think anyone with the wisdom beyond a 4th grader buys that ?heroic? crap? Only the simple-minded rote-learners. Are they ?warriors? or wimps? What would the invaders of Troy say? Stay-at-home suburban soldiers for a country not under attack. Is this what Al Gore meant by sprawl? Can you imagine what George Washington would think? This is progress?

Do you keep manipulating language so that you believe your own lies? We are at ?war?? We are NOT at ?war.? We are an occupying force. ?Insurgents? and ?enemies? are the patriots of those old civilizations we are so bent on destroying. We are told by you and the drones, like laugh-it-up ?fly?boy, church-going Goff, you that ?those? are ?the bad guys.? Actually, as presented, YOU are the ?bad? guys. You are glorifying detached ethics, not unlike those of Wall Street.

I wonder what Ike would say about your unfettered cheerleading for the expansion of the military-industrial complex. How long before our government starts aiming those million-dollar cameras on their own citizens (if they haven?t already)? Don?t you think Morrow would be sick with this kind of uncritical approach to a story? This embarrassing episode in ?journalism? certainly parallels the rest of the junk reality shows that are paying the bills for your profit-first /civic-duty-last policy. Thomas would be Pained.

On the plus side, after Logan?s breathless ad campaign, Katie Couric seemed seasoned during her pal-around with ?Secretary of War? Gates . Is there a more cynical, vapid, vacuous individual in the ?new? cabinet? Is this who we have become? The press as cheerleaders for mindless, soulless bureaucrats whose only job is keeping their job? Talk about The Ugly Americans.

Maybe you should just let Morley lead with the pap smears and go straight to the sagacity of Andy. In the spirit of reality TV, maybe you will let us mourn while they die live on the air?gosh, ain?t death grand.

[replycbsnews]

nova carried a story of the history of space where kennedy(?) was unsure of how others would accept overflights in their space. sputnik answered that (soveign territory 200mi up) ironically. when powell in the u2 was shot down, it resolved the issue "just because you can voilate airspace doesn't mean it will be accepted". the west has for too long presented new rules to which I doubt, they won't appreciate being applied to themselves. I would not like to see cheney's fear mongering come to pass, but the new precedent of easy foreign invasion of air space (by such low 50k flying uav's) really beggs the question and escalates the realm of acceptability of cruise armament and icbms. What can be the complaint then? Look, when bush said "we won't stand for iran closing the straits of hormuz " he didn't mention that the shipping lane went though THEIR territorial water. It was like saying the us has to allow russian travel up the Mississippi. When rumsfeld/senior officials said "the moment they used the mosque to fire, it became a legitimate target". in the iraq invasion, soldier stateside communications utilized one transponder of a satellite that handled 199 other broadcasts (from telephone to tv) and the implications are clear (so too for gps constellations used for civilian and military uses). Oddly karzai was right on this one, the west has such lousy morals (and principles) that they can't operate under the same rules they impose on others.

[replycbsnews]

I'll second that motion that he is a coward. Just because he can kill and not get a scratch brings to mind eric rudolph who also thought he was on god's mission. from falluja, they said "why don't they stand and fight toe to toe". you know the British rughby players think the heavily padded football players are sissys. u.s. miiitia expect to get protected by body armor, get urgent care, and survive. when they have the balls to go on a 100% assured suicide mission to die defending their country from a foreign invader, then I'll call them just as brave. Until then just because they can kill by remote control, invade foreign soil to control resources (similar to hitler/hirihito), they deserve to be called cowards. Face it, much of what is unjust in this world is the mismatch of opponents: eg big banks vs small homeowner or credit card user, big insurance vs ill policy holder, etc. examples of fair competition: boeing vs airbus, us drug co vs swiss drug co, ge turbines vs siemens, or hitachi, pratt and witney vs rolls royce, toyota vs gm. we don't pit a high school basket ball team against the nba, we have weight classes in boxing and wrestling. So yes, just because technology allows one an advantage over a less developed opponent LIVING IN HIS OWN COUNTRY, in his own home, doesn't make it right.

[replycbsnews]

this story just goes to show how hijacked my christian religion has become when this controller kills by remote control. If anyone should be allowed to have a "red hot barrel" it is a national guard defending their country from a foreign invasion and invasion of their airspace. If we were there for PURE humanitarian purposes (like kosovo) and not for the less apparent hidden agenda of brezenski's "grand chessboard" (written before 2nd iraq invasion) and the real agenda to find a oil path from the rich caspian region via turkmenistan, afganistan, pakistan to the coast. then it might be more palatable. As it stands, rumsfeld/unocal were rejected by the taliban when they proposed the pipeline and rumsfeld to which rumsfeld said we'll take it anyway. our agenda in iraq and afganistan are as corrupted as all the past overthrows covered in "100 years of regime change" and "confessions of an economic hitman". Afgans have every right to kick out foreign forces be they soviet or us. after all that's what we promoted to kuwait - or is the real agenda resource control and adhoc rules made up as appropriate. that sad uav operator should spend less time getting indoctrinated in church and more time learning about hypocrisies of his actions and that of foreign policy.

[replycbsnews]

What is missing from your report are snippets from past network broadcasts: 1) abc's evening news covering the same control center where the soldier talks of how he can go to work in the morning and then meet his wife and children for dinner in the local mall 2) rumsfeld/senior officer narrating a video saying "watch the fighter as he sets he props his gun at the door and enters his house and the missile follows shortly" (mindful his country, his home we invade their airspace)- 3) cheney/military replying to a question of how many innocent are allowed to be killed for one hvt -30. so the question is, in light of these types of apparent rules, do you see the parallel when that uav soldier takes off his uniform and now believes he is just another citizen in his own country and how the west behaved in iraq?

[briancooney]

Here is an interesting book about drones and new military technology:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594201986?ie=UTF8&tag=coonefinan-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594201986

[ddaryl1]

unmanned drones is just the begginning... It will only be a matter of time before givernments will depend upon robotic / artificial intelligence to fight its battles... AND we all kow where this leads. Once you have a few people controlling armies of robotic soldiers the humans in this world will be slaves.... eventually humans will develope artificial intelligence to the point to which is can understand self preservation, and then from that point we will have a scenario that has played out in hollywood many times...

yep... humanity is well on its way to developing its own cylons

[deboldt]

Note to administrator:

I can?t believe my generic term for "buttocks" was censored in my last post. If I am not mistaken, I have heard the word used a lot on CBS broadcasts and telecasts. What gives?

Also why is the prohibition against abusive personal attacks not enforced on this comment venue? It seems that a far too much ad hominem abuse is being bandied about here.

Peace,

B

[deboldt]

It took Alexander only six months to conquer Iran, but it took nearly three years (from about 330 BC - 327 BC) to subdue the area that is now Afghanistan and the adjacent regions of the former Soviet Union. Moving eastward from the area of Herat, the Macedonian leader encountered fierce resistance from local rulers of what had been Iranian satraps. In a letter to his mother, Alexander described the situation thus: "I am involved in the land of a 'Leonine' (lion-like) and brave people, where every foot of the ground is like a well of steel, confronting my soldier. This is the land of the Afghans in which (even) children are fighting valiantly against my steel forces. You have brought only one son into the world, but everyone in this land can be called an Alexander.?

http://www.onpedia.com/encyclopedia/Pre-Islamic-period-of-Afghanistan

In the same way the fierce Afghanistan tribes handed the Ruskies their collective ***** on a plate, so they will bleed the American Imperialists dry and further erode our already morally bankrupt culture and ruined economy. It couldn?t happen to a nicer outfit! We asked for it.

Peace,

Bob Boldt

[normanart]

It is interesting to see the military s continued love affair with high technology blossom into such practical weaponry. Has the cost of a dead "terrorist" gotten down to one million dollars yet? Can't hospitals be built for a lot less that a lazer guided missile? Does the military really think swatting flies on the back of an elephant is going to turn the tide in this region? Yes, many civilians are being taken out by these weapons. The suicide bombers are accomplishing the same goal at considerably less cost to the taxpayer. The apes aren't using jaw bones now, they're using computer monitors with low orbit weapons platforms.

[thrush6]

The use of drones in warfare is nothing new. The Germans launched V-1 Buzz Bombs against London in WW2. This stuff isn't any different.

[bbpkr]

hey valh, You're the friggin' Moron. President Obama is doing Exactly what he Said he'd do all thru last year's primaries & the Campaign-- Get the U.S. Military re-focused on the Real War,
in Afghanistan.
The drawdown from Iraq, Bush's Lie-based Misadventure, is going on , at a pace recommended by the Generals-who Obama, unlike Dubya, Listens to.
This Lefty is Elated by Pres. Obama's Afghanistan build-up. And Pres. Obama has promised that Definite intelligence pinpoints Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan, if the Paks won't "do the
job", WE Will.
Now, be a good little wingnut and go watch your pill-poppin' spokesman Rush.

[valh1]

Hey, leftist morons, King Barry is in charge now. Really hurts that he isn't shutting down the war, doesn't it??? And civilians are dying??? How do you reconcile your adoration for the Chosen One with these facts???

[noloyalisti]

enriquieGonzales Oh yeah, and according to the Bushoccio Crime Family, the Iraqi navy was going to invade us. Thanks for sharing your wise insights. Lay off the News for Dumb Fox.

[labrat9999]

enriquieGonzales..you really need to take off the funny cone shaped hat and white cloak. You look like a complete moron!!

[coupeditor]

Wow! That is so cool! Is there a pop corn popper in the cockpit too?

Remote combat! The only thing cooler is remote reporting! Don't even have to get your facts straight!

60 Minutes might start with this fact: Drones are killing 70 civilians per one fighter. But the pilot you interviewed says they never get it wrong... Hmmm... It's either he's lying, or the 70 civilians don't matter... Either way is horrifying.

Get a reporter on the ground to find out what the truth is, or don't file the report. Too dangerous to send a reporter? There's your story. Don't sully your otherwise excellent reputation by doing the Air Force's propaganda for them.

[noloyalisti]

Is it possible our government remotely flew the airplanes into the world trade center on September 11th? The official story is just such a line of junk and an affront to our intelligence.