EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: PREDATOR SENSOR OPERATOR

UNMANNED WAR?
time.com
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FEBUARY 10, 2014
Te Story Of How Remote Technology Is
Changing Warfare And What Tat Means
For Te Pilots Of Tomorrow
TIME February 10, 2014 3
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TIME
Vol. 183, NO. 5 | 2014
2 | Conversation
BRIEFING
4 | Unmanned War
Outline of the editorial
feature of this issue of
Time magazine
5 | MQ-1B Predator
A simple fact sheet on
the most common RPA
systems used today
6 | Introduction
What are RPAS and
why the military
winces if you call them
drones.
7 | Operator Angst
Dry days in Nevada;
the effects of distance
warfare on pilots and
sensors operators in
the war on terrorism
9 | Culture Of Fear
The effects of living in
constant anxiety under
drones in Pakistan and
Afghanistan
11 | Conclusive
Statement
Is Drone technology
changing the face of
war and the ethics of
those who fght it?
12 | Drone Survival
Made by students, the
poster details the likely
drones you will see in
the skies in the next
few years
14 | Strike Posture
One mans story of
how he became a
drone sensor operator
and how that has
affected him
46 | Pakistan
Strikes
How the US strikes in
Pakistan breakdown
50 | Glossary
Military jargon is full
of acronyms, look here
to fnd out what they
mean.
51 | The Reference
Columns
Find out our sources
and where to go for
further reading
ON THE COVER
Photograph by Ivan
Sekretarev - AP
A United States MQ-1B Predator Drone circles the sky on Dec. 18.
Image by Charles McCain - (Bureau Of Investigative Journalism 2012).
DRONE
SPECIAL
2014 Military
For customer service and our general terms and conditions, visit timeeurope.com/customerservice or write to Time, P.O. Box20500, 1001 NM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. TIME is published by Time Magazine Europe
Ltd. Blue Fin Building. 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 OSU. There are six double issues. Each counts as two of 52 issues in an annual subscription. There may also be occasional extra issues. TIME is printed in the
Netherlands. the Republic of South Africa and the United Kingdom. Le Directeur de la publication: Richard Evans. C.P.P.A.P. No visit timeeurope.com/customerservice or write to Time, P.O. Box20500, 1001 NM Amsterdam,
The Netherlands. TIME is published by Time Magazine Europe Ltd. Blue Fin Building. 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 OSU. There are six double issues. Each counts as two of 52 issues in an annual subscription.
There may also be occasional extra issues. TIME is printed in the Netherlands. the Republic of South Africa and the United Kingdom. Le Directeur de la publication: Richard Evans. C.P.P.A.P. No visit timeeurope.com/
customerservice or write to Time, P.O. Box20500, 1001 NM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. TIME is published by Time Magazine Europe Ltd. Blue Fin Building. 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 OSU. There are six double
issues. Each counts as two of 52 issues in an annual subscription. There may also be occasional extra issues. TIME is printed in the Netherlands. the Republic of South Africa and the United Kingdom. Le Directeur de la
publication: Richard Evans. C.P.P.A.P. No visit timeeurope.com/customerservice or write to Time, P.O. Box20500, 1001 NM Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
6 Te Unmanned War
A Contextual essay on how the rise of drone
technology has brought about a new set of ethical
and psychological problems for people.
by Luke Anthony Firth
14 Strike Posture
A rare interview with an active duty Reaper drone
sensor operator about how he became an operator
and how it has afected him.
by Luke Anthony Firth
22 Pakistan Strikes
Te count of deaths and strikes within Pakistan
over the past few years visualised.
Image by Pitch Interactive;
text by Luke Anthony Firth
FEATURES
4 Photograph Of Brandon Bryant, ex-drone operator who is haunted by his time at war (The Muslim Times 2013)
WORLDVIEW | MILITARY
THE HUMANS
BEHIND AND
BENEATH
THE EYE
OF THE
DRONES
In all the whirlwind of media coverage of drones and their political consequences, We
forgot to ask what effect this technology is having on those people most touched by it.
By Luke Anthony Firth
Image Analysts:
Constantly review the images
broadcast by the camera.
Pilot:
Flies the aircraft, launches
hellfire missile.
Sensor Operator:
Controls the camera and
targeting laser for missile.
JTAC:
Embedded in ground
troops that command
air support.
Launch Team:
Launch and land the
RPA from airbase.
GCS In US/UK Airforce
Base
Wingspan: 16.8m (55ft)
Length: 8.2m (27ft)
Speed: 135-217kph (84-135 mph)
Range: 1,240k, (770 miles)
Endurance: >24 Hours
Unit Numbers:
USAF: 157
RAF: 5
Unit Cost:
$20m per system (includes four
aircraft, ground control station
and satellite link).
Geographic Operation:
USAF/RAF: Afghanistan
CIA: Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen
Iraq, Libya, Syria.
Local Airbase (Usually In
Country).
Armament:
2 x AGM-114 Hellfire Missile
IR Laser Designation For Missiles
And Other Airstrikes
M - Fused to detonate after
initial impact on wall or armour.
K - Two shaped charge
designed to destroy armour.
Special K - K model wrapped
in scored steel for anti personnel
shrapnel.
P - Newer variant follows
laser designation closer.
Mix Of Four Types:
TIME February 10, 2014
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Predator
Lockheed Martin MQ-1B Remotely Piloted Aerial System
1
2
6
In recent years the use of Drones
both domestically and in the military
theatre have witness a near exponential
increase, from numbering by the
handful only a decade ago to over a
1000 large military drones in use today.
They are transforming the arena of
battle with the ability to loiter in combat
areas for prolonged periods without the
risk of loss of allied life whilst Civilians
and militants alike know that an unseen
killer may be lurking above them at
any time. Operators at computers,
7000miles or more removed from
the combat are replacing traditional
soldiers, jets and rifes. But with this
new action at a distance granted through
technology, what does it mean to those
using it, those who live under it and
moreover, what could this mean for
the future of warfare? As a politically
sensitive subject there is a great deal
of controversy surrounding the use
of drones, which in turn feeds the
confusion that already exists about their
very nature. A noted example comes
from what we call them; the Predator
least sidelining the wider political issues
that surround drones that commands
most of their media coverage and
instead focusing on their human impact.
The Effects On Operators. What is it like
to operate an RPA system? In truth, that
is a very diffcult question to fnd an
answer to. The majority of weaponised
RPA systems are owned and operated
by the CIA and are fully classifed.
Even those operated by the Air force
are shrouded in secrecy, leaving the
average person at the mercy of the news
houses to inform them, but one thing is
clear: The rise of drone technology has
brought with it brand new questions for
mankind about the roles of technology
in warfare. The reduction of the act
of taking a life to the push of a button
on a controller followed by a bright
fash on a computer screen coupled
with the pseudo-intimacy of watching
and learning that very life for weeks
or months beforehand and watching
the aftermath for hours to assess the
consequences of that button push
is by far the best recognised but watch
the military cringe as by their defnition
it is not actually a drone. To them a
drone is pilotless device that operates
autonomously, often conjuring thoughts
that it may be imbued with some form
of independent will or ego. Rather, the
Predator and all of its recognisable
cousins are known as Remotely Piloted
Air Systems (RPAS). Drones in the
traditional autonomous sense do still
indeed exist and operate on a very small
scale, but only in strict intelligence,
reconnaissance and surveillance
(IRS) roles and more importantly still
requiring human control for combat
operations.
This feature explores how the growing
use of RPA systems affects those
people involved, from the pilots, sensor
operators and analysts to the civilian
population. To discuss whether drones
are something new, something innately
good or bad or indeed simply just
another technology to be determined
by its users such as tanks, jets and
helicopters before them. Temporarily at
A good analogy is the fying
machine. It was science fction,
then the Wright brothers made it
real. In WWI they were used frst
for observation and then we jury
rigged them with weapons before
designing them for combat. Then
much of that technology that was
developed for that spread out to
the domestic world. Right now
thats exactly what we are seeing
with drones.
WORLDVIEW | MILITARY
3
TIME February 10, 2014 7
presents those pilots with dilemmas
never before encountered in history.
Looking online the secrecy of the
militarys drone programs is startlingly
clear with only a small handful of frst
hand accounts ever provided by pilots
or sensor operators, much less those
active within the military due to strict
operations security measures. However
through no small feat, Time was able to
secure a Skype interview with a sensor
operator of an MQ-9B Reaper drone.
His frst hand experience and story is
featured later in this issue of Time and
his comments have given some of the
detailed insight into the lives of drone
operators within this article.
Game Theory. With games such as the
Call of Duty franchise, the use of RPAS
like the Predator is something many
people are familiar with and whilst the
debate on whether games can cause
violence through desensitisation or
otherwise still rages. One fact stands; it
is easier on the mind to kill an enemy on
a screen using a games controller than
missions, the frst and most basic of
which is controlled by none other than
an ordinary Xbox 360 controller.
A recent FAA study showed that pilots
with traditional fight experience
performed worse as RPA pilots than
those with no prior fight experience,
as they brought skill sets that were not
required in the new feld along with a
set of expectancies that were unwanted
with RPA fight. Because of this the Air
force now (during its largest expansion
of the RPA program) actively seeks
offcers with no fight training and puts
them through the yearlong training
program (Cummings 2013). In a year,
an offcer with no previous experience
is asked to operate the pinnacle of
military technology fghting people in
a country they may never set a foot in.
As for the psychological impacts and the
argument that soldiers can object if they
feel that like their orders are immoral
(even at the risk of court martial).
Studies have shown for years that the
further disconnected from actions the
more readily people will cause harm
to do it in reality. The military know
this and drone operators are required
to wear the same fight suit as a regular
pilot whilst on mission and the GCS
they work in has no windows and any
contact with the outside world is strictly
prohibited as to help operators separate
their minds from the fact that they are
sitting only a few miles from home and
to immerse themselves so that although
their body may be in Nevada their
minds are in Afghanistan (Linebaugh,
2013). It is then perhaps an unfortunate
coincidence that before operating a real
RPA operators fy many simulated fight
The cost of war in
blood and treasure
has been reduced to
little more than a pin
prick and a penny
MEN AT WAR, AT
HOME
1. Inside the GCS where
the RPA is piloted from
Creech Airforce Base
Nevada (General Atomics
2013).
2. A soldier signs one of
the two AGM-114 Hellfre
missiles attached to the
predator (Aviation Week
2009).
3. A member of the
ground crew in
Afghanistan reaches a
recently landed Predator
in order to hit the engine
kill-switch (Businessweek
2013).
8
to others. Stanley Milgrams famous
experiment (replicated as recently as
2006) was originally undertaken as
an attempt to understand how Nazi
soldiers were capable of atrocities in
WWII. Everyday participants were
asked to harm what they believed were
other participants randomly selected
by means of increasingly severe
electric shocks for every incorrect
answer given to questions in what they
thought was a learning experiment.
The results, irrespective of date or
time are remarkably consistent: 61-
66% of people delivered all shocks
including a fnal massive 450volt shock
at which point the confederate who the
participant believed they were shocking
had become silent after displaying
extreme pain and complaining of a heart
condition.
The experiment serves to illustrate the
ability of a person to follow orders,
even if it causes them great mental
and emotional stress (many of the
participants in these experiments
required post experiment therapy).
Aside from the lack of threat posed by
the enemy this can be related to any
soldier in combat and not specifcally
RPA operators. Further studies were
undertaken to explore this phenomena
under different conditions. In one
condition, the participant was removed
from the room where the confederate
was situated and instead performed
instances that forced him to resign. The
frst of which was fnding what he saw
as a suspicious warm circle through his
infrared on a road in front of a convoy
he was protecting and raising the alarm.
The convoy had communications
jamming equipment activated to stop
remote detonation of IEDs and Bryant
with the rest of the air team were forced
to watch powerless as when the second
vehicle crossed the circle it exploded,
killing 2 soldiers and severely injuring
3 more (Popular Science, 2013). The
fnal straw for him however came when
after conducting POL on a suspected Al
Qaeda leader the call came to launch a
strike at the hut he was occupying that
was thought to be empty, moments
before the missile hit a child stepped
outside before disappearing in the white
fash of the hellfre, as per mission
operation the Pilot and Sensor then
had to observe the impact site for a
number of hours to determine strike
effectiveness as neighbours and family
reacted and rushed to the dead (Spiegel
Online / Nicola Ab. 2012)(Power M
2013).
Comparing RPAS to conventional
aircraft highlights this key difference
where a traditional aircraft missions
last less than 2 hours and typically have
2-3 minutes maximum total exposure,
fying in dropping bombs on an area
and returning to base often without
seeing the bomb site. Drone operators
the task of relaying the prompt to
another fully compliant teacher a
condition comparable to that as a RPA
operator. Under this condition 92.5% of
participants continued up to the 450volt
shock, even though they displayed
signifcant discomfort throughout.
And now drone technology has brought
this kind of moral dilemma to RPA
operators who, like us are susceptible
to obeying authority and performing
their duty even at the expense of what
they think is right and their long term
psychological health as a result. Ex-
Predator sensor operator Brandon
Bryant described dreaming in infra
red for months after two particular
The mechanisms of
death may change, as
intimate as a bayonet
or distant as a drone
but the bloody facts
and their weight on
the human conscience
remain the same.
- USAF General David A Deptula
TIME February 10, 2014 9
have fight times for full 8 hour shifts
and have target exposure for weeks
or months prior to a strike and hours
after. Making them far more aware of
the consequences of their actions than
nearly any other soldier in history,
whilst never leaving home soil. The
notion has even been put forward to alter
the defnition of Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder to that of a Moral Injury A
tectonic realignment and a shift in focus
from the violence done to a person in
wartime towards his feelings about
what he has done to others, or what he
has failed to do for them (Cummings,
2013). My contact describes his worst
moment as an operator as arriving on
scene moments after some militants
had ambushed and killed a number of
US troops, but by the time his Reaper
was in range they had dropped their
weapons and become unarmed, the
rules of close air support (United States
Marine Corps, 2009) meant that they
could not fre upon the militants and
instead had to allow them to walk away,
to possibly kill again.
It stands as little surprise perhaps, that
when in 2011 the USAF psychologists
completed a mental health survey of 600
combat drone operators they found 46%
suffered from clinical distress and the
programme had a 29% burnout rate and
later found that operators demonstrate
the same levels of depression, anxiety,
PTSD, alcohol abuse and suicidal
who is shooting at you and move on than
to shoot a man who could never have
harmed you, who you have watched
for months playing football with his
kids, sleeping with his wife atop their
home, waking up and smoking on his
doorstep. It is easier to live at home than
to be away in the desert risking life for
months, but harder to separate war and
home when you switch between the two
each day with only a 20 minute drive
to decompress and then cannot talk to
your spouse or family about what you
have witnessed or had to do during the
day (Wood, 2013). Perhaps then, from
the side of the force with the drones,
this is the warfare of the 21st century
information junkie world, infnitely
connected but emotionally isolated.
What could be more ftting for the
warfare of the Twitter age than being
in front of banks of computer screens
controlling killer fying robots lurking
in the skies on the other side of the
world?
ideation as regular troops (Armed
Forces Health Surveillance Center,
2011). Again the Air force seem to know
this and after completing an after action
report containing all video and audio
of a strike as well as each operators
personal account they are required
to visit the base Psychiatrist before
returning home. Suddenly very severe
the operator told me how after his frst
kinetic strike he drove straight to the
base church and had his conversation
with God to ask him to ensure that
every strike he ever has to make is as
sombre as the frst. To him, without the
context of war going on around you it
is a wholly different experience to kill.
Situated frmly in the uncanny valley
RPA technology has brought about a
new breed of soldier, one in a perpetual
grey state between war and home life.
Whilst saved the psychological stress
of physically being on the battlefeld,
operators suffer the effects of blurred
ethical lines on the conscience. It is
easier to shoot a man you do not know
LEFT Using satellite connections internationally, RPAS suffer a 2 second delay,
because of this ground launch crews handle take off and landing (Wired 2010).
CENTRE Public displays of anti American sentiment refect the 17% approval
rating of RPAS by Pakistani civilians (Public Service International 2013).
RIGHT In December 2013 last year heavy anti-drone protests at the Afghan-
Pakistani border halted US supply convoys from crossing (Salon 2013).
10
The Effects On Civilian Population.
A major component of the Obama
administrations use of RPAS has been
the expansion in the use of signature
strikes to include many more so-called
signature strikes based on pattern
of life analysis. These strikes target
groups of men who bear certain
defning characteristics associated with
terrorist activity, but whose identities
arent known (Klaidman, D, 2012).
The majority of these strikes occur
within the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan and
Afghanistan where the Taliban and
other non-state armed factions are most
active.
In these areas, it is hard to imagine
that there is any way that the extensive
use of RPAS in these areas especially
could not have a substantial impact on
the general civilian population. There is
a distinct fear that a strike could come
(anonymised name), (Stanford Law
School And NYU School of Law, 2012).
With the economic and human risks
so drastically reduced as they are in
the case of RPAS (35 Predator drones
cost roughly the same as a single F16
combat jet whilst the fuel of a single
fight of an F4 Phantom jet could
provide 200 predator fights. Associated
Press, 2011). It has enabled the touch
of war to extend to more places, for
much longer than ever before dreamed.
When conducting long term missions,
when one drone returns for fuel another
will take its place. Creating a constant
presence of fear of death to those living
beneath. Psychiatrists in Pakistan
are increasingly reporting patients
presenting symptoms of pervasive
worry about future trauma, emblematic
of anticipatory anxiety. Mental health
professionals who work with drone
victims conclude that these symptoms
are largely attributed to the patients
belief that they could be attacked at any
time (Nabila Ur Rehman / Washinton
Post, 2013)(Lavallee, 2013).
from anywhere at any time, even to the
point that attendance to daily routines
and social gatherings which are of
central importance to the tribal societies
is severely diminished (Human Rights
Council, 2012). Often when a drone
fies overhead, civilians report that
if they cannot see it, they can hear it.
They call them Buzzers or Fruit-
fies from their signature engine whine,
a sound that signals a spread of cold
fear through the population as one taxi
driver in Islamabad described:
We are always thinking that it is either
going to attack our homes or whatever
we do. Its going to strike us; its going
to attack us. No matter what we are
doing, that fear is always inculcated
in us. Because whether we are driving
a car, or we are working on a farm,
or we are sitting home playing cards
no matter what we are doing, we are
always thinking the drone will strike
us. So we are scared to do anything, no
matter what.
-Interview with Saeed Yayha
COLLATERAL DAMAGE Although touted
for their highly surgical nature, it is
estimated that hundreds of civilians are
still killed by drone strikes each year
(Japan Times 2013).
TIME February 10, 2014 11
There is strong evidence that this constant
pressure and frustration becomes a
powerful recruitment tool for the very
targets of the RPA strikes. Militants can
simply say, Your governments not
doing anything, the United States hasnt
even apologised and this is the only way
to make revenge. This manifestation
shows itself where would-be terrorists
have cited drones as motivation. Faisal
Shahzad, who attempted to bomb New
York Citys Times Square in 2010, said
in court that until the hour the US pulls
its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan
and stops the drone strikes in Somalia
and Yemen and in Pakistan we will
be attacking US, and I plead guilty to
that (Bollier 2013).
Knock On Effects. It seems too that
due to the targeting nature of an RPA
strikes of military age males (especially
at gatherings) who are often the sole
income source for the traditionally
heavily patriarchal families Women are
often the most affected by the usage
of RPAS. Losing not only a husband,
father or brother, but also fnd diffculty
where strict sharia law is enforced by
the Taliban dictates that they should
not be allowed to leave their homes
without the accompaniment of a male
family member or husband (Stanford
Law School And NYU School of Law,
2012). Nor can they pick up arms and
become a fghter in the same way that
grieving men do, compounding the
reported feelings of extreme frustration
and fear.
A particularly distressing element
coming from the areas where drone
strikes are most common is the impact
that civilians are no longer providing
medical assistance or even going near
strike sites for days after for fear of
repeat attacks, something not reported
from traditional methods of war
(Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law
School, 2012). Signifying a signifcant
subversion from human instinct as
a direct result of Drone warfare in
particular. It should be noted that there
are indeed groups that support the
use of Drones, those who live in fear
of their Taliban occupation and men
controlling their villages at gunpoint.
Brutally killing those who dissent from
countries employing guerilla tactics.
Personally, its hard not to feel that
drone technology more than just a new
tool, but instead the dawn of a new
type of cleaner, colder warfare. A
double edge sword that acts both as the
perfect weapon to the point of possibly
trivializing taking lives, but one that
leaves lasting psychological scars on
both sides that brings with it vastly
different ethical questions to which we
are accustomed. Right or wrong we
are forced by the unstoppable march
of technology to either restrict military
drone use until it can be reevaluated on
a grand scale to understand its long-
term moral footprint. It wouldnt be the
frst of such unjustifable weapons;
as cluster mines, white phosphorous
or biological weapons were before. Or
we must instead adapt and expand our
moral framework so drones become
simply another transitional taboo that in
some years will be readily accepted and
seen as a norm. We are presented with a
choice that is both dark but also one that
is full of possibilities for unlimited good.
One thing is for certain with the USAF
now training more RPA pilots than
traditional ones (U.S. Dept of Defense
2014) and drones flling the domestic
theatre with companies like Google
acquiring drone and AI companies at
an extreme rate, the drones are well and
truly here to stay.
In the next issue of Time the use of
Drone technology in domestic and
humanitarian cases is examined in
detail.
their laws and leaving the bodies in the
streets. To these people who are not few
in number the political arguments of
national sovereignty as seen in Lahore
mean nothing and to them drones
strikes are the lesser of the evils. It is
increasingly reported that tribal elders
have met the death of local militants
with celebration (Hazelton, 2013).
Conclusive Statement. The use of RPAS
seems a perfect refection of the world
and confict in the information age.
The fact that combat drones can only
be employed in good, clear weather
skies in uncontested airspace refects
a fundamental change in the type of
war that exists today. No longer does
the traditional mental picture of two
countries fghting grand battles apply,
rather confict zones today typically
consist of a technologically developed
occupying force fghting small,
indigenous factions within developing
My aircraft was
never meant to kill,
it was meant only to
observe.
- Abe Karem
(Creator Of The Predator)
FEARFUL FUTURE Many see the widespread covert use of armed drones as a prelude
to a darker future as depicted in science fction for decades (Terminator 1984).
0
0
2 10
Meter
Feet
8 6 4
10 20 30 35 25 15 5
X47C
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA
Sentinel
Military Surveillance
USA
Global Hawk
Military Surveillance
USA
Avenger
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA
Soaring Dragon
Military Surveillance / Attack
China
Eitan
Military Surveillance
Israel/Germany
X45C
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA
Mantis
Military Surveillance / Attack
UK
Barracuda
Military Surveillance
France/Germany
Reaper
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA/UK
Hermes
Military Surveillance
Israel
Hummingbird
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA
Fire Scout
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA Heron
Military Surveillance
Israel/India/Germany/Turkey
Herti
Surveillance
UK
WASP III
Military Reconnaissance
USA/NATO
Air robot
Domestic surveillance
UK
Raven
Military Reconnaissance
USA/NATO
AR Parrot
Consumer photography
USA
Killer Bee
Surveillance
USA
Rustom I
Military Surveillance
India
Harpy
Military Attack
Israel
Shadow
Military Surveillance
USA / NATO
Scan Eagle
Military Surveillance
USA / NATO
Predator
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA/Italy/Morocco/Turkey/UAE
nEUROn
Military Surveillance / Attack
France
Aeryon Scout
Domestic Surveillance
Canada
DRONE SURVIVAL GUIDE

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FOR UNOFFICAL USE ONLY (FUUO)
12
WORLDVIEW | MILITARY
0
0
2 10
Meter
Feet
8 6 4
10 20 30 35 25 15 5
X47C
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA
Sentinel
Military Surveillance
USA
Global Hawk
Military Surveillance
USA
Avenger
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA
Soaring Dragon
Military Surveillance / Attack
China
Eitan
Military Surveillance
Israel/Germany
X45C
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA
Mantis
Military Surveillance / Attack
UK
Barracuda
Military Surveillance
France/Germany
Reaper
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA/UK
Hermes
Military Surveillance
Israel
Hummingbird
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA
Fire Scout
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA Heron
Military Surveillance
Israel/India/Germany/Turkey
Herti
Surveillance
UK
WASP III
Military Reconnaissance
USA/NATO
Air robot
Domestic surveillance
UK
Raven
Military Reconnaissance
USA/NATO
AR Parrot
Consumer photography
USA
Killer Bee
Surveillance
USA
Rustom I
Military Surveillance
India
Harpy
Military Attack
Israel
Shadow
Military Surveillance
USA / NATO
Scan Eagle
Military Surveillance
USA / NATO
Predator
Military Surveillance / Attack
USA/Italy/Morocco/Turkey/UAE
nEUROn
Military Surveillance / Attack
France
Aeryon Scout
Domestic Surveillance
Canada
DRONE SURVIVAL GUIDE

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FOR UNOFFICAL USE ONLY (FUUO)
TIME February 10, 2014 13
BIRDS OF PREY The Drone Survival Guide was created by art student Ruben Pater. Shown
here are the siloheuttes of the most commonly used military RPAS around the world now
and in the near future (Ruben Pater, 2013).
Photograph by Rinze Klein for CNET
Prefight Checks
Aircrews perform a
prefight check on an
MQ-9 Reaper before it
takes of for a mission
in Afghanistan on
September 31.
15
INTERVIEW | TRANSCRIPT
AN EXCLUSIVE TALK
WITH AN ACTIVE DUTY
MQ-9B REAPER RPA SENSOR
OPERATOR
BY LUKE ANTHONY FIRTH
Interviews with Drone operators is rare, as can be confrmed
by a very short internet search. Due to this scarcity many
quotes and interviews shown in the media are recycled from
one of the handful that exist. Of these the majority are pilots
and sensors that have ended their careers in the military and
now wish to tell their stories. So to get an interview with an
active operator was the diffcult task that lay ahead of TIME
when researching for this article. Perhaps it was the generally
unfavourable view that much of the mainstream media has
taken to drones, or the scorn of others in the military suffered
by those who do speak out, tied in with the heavy restrictions
on what can be said whilst maintaining Operational Security.
However after weeks of searching, numerous phone calls and
a lot of work someone came forwards for a Skype interview
for this article. What follows is his story.
16
INTERVIEW | TRANSCRIPT
When I frst started in my Air Force career, I had always
told myself that I wanted to be in a new Air Force Specialty
Code (AFSC; i.e. job) by the time I reached the mid-point
to my retirement. My previous job was in computer
networking & communications; a typical Monday
through Friday, nine to fve job that took me all around
the world on assignments and provided me with all sorts
of certifcations that would translate to the civilian job
market well. However, the one thing that always bothered
me about that AFSC was having to play the Kevin Bacon
Game to link my actions at work with the Air Force
mission of bombs on target.
The tenth year came (eligibility for retirement is 20 years)
and I stuck to my word. I started the retraining process
which consists of perusing through a list of AFSCs that
are experiencing different levels of manning. The best
opportunity to be selected for retraining is to select an
AFSC that is in the critically manned category. Initially
I wanted to be an Aerial Gunner, the guy that mans the
machine gun on the side of helicoptersbut that AFSC
wasnt listed that year. My attention was then drawn to the
1U0X1 AFSC; Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Sensor
Operator and I did as much research on it as I could online.
Fortunately, one of my civilian co-workers was a retired
former Senior Non-Commissioned Offcer (SNCO) who
happened to have connections with one of the SNCOs at
the local RPA squadron on our base. He contacted him and
asked if he minded giving me a tour of the place and job
since I was considering retraining into it. During the tour
of the squadron, I remember asking the SNCO many of the
same questions youve asked me. I also remember relaying
my concerns about my current job being seven degrees of
Kevin Bacon away from the Air Force mission; and Ill
never forget his response of in this job, youre only one
degree away from dropping bombs on targets.
25
th
January 2014
If you feel comfortable, could you tell me
about yourself and how you became a
MQ-9B sensor operator?
The Mini Memoirs Of A Sensor
As you work long shifts, I imagine that it
cant be go time all of the time, what do
you do during the time between mission
critical times? Is there a lot of waiting
around?
Generally, every crewman arrives to work for their shift and
proceeds to the Squadron Aviation Resource Management
(SARM) offce where the Airmen there notify them if they
are up-to-date on all of the necessary requirements (i.e.
procedures tests, ratings, certifcations, etc). From there,
we enter the secure side of the building and proceed to
the giant screen showing the daily fying schedule which
shows which crewmen are on what mission, GCS, and the
respective times associated (take off, landing, etc). Then
its off to the mass briefng room where everyone receives
the daily intelligence briefngs about the missions; where
were fying, the target(s), the unit being supported, the
altitudes, etc. From there everyone splits and gathers
with the rest of the crewmen assigned to their respective
mission and they have a more private crew brief. The crew
brief is where the pilot, sensor operator, and Mission Intel
Coordinator (MIC) further go into the details of the mission
execution, divvy responsibilities and expectations which
can vary from I need you to plot coordinates and monitor
the fux capacitor and temperatures, etc to calculate the
speed of the vehicle during follows and give me range
estimates to the intersections and everything in between.
Eventually, we work with the same fellow crewmen long
enough that we get to know each other well enough that
the crew briefngs become shorter in duration. If you work
with the same guys for a long time, you already know what
they expect from you and vice versa.
After the crew brief, the pilot and sensor operator squeeze
Ill never forget his response of:
In this job, youre only one degree
away from bombs on targets.
TIME February 10, 2014 17
Working so closely with a pilot in the
GCS, what kind of relationship do you
guys have?
Squadrons typically fy the same missions for the same
supported unit for continuity purposes. Most missions are
simple Pattern Of Life (POL) scenarios where the same
targets are followed and monitored for months on end to
unravel their network of locations, contacts, etc. On those
missions, the mood inside the GCS tends to be a more
relaxed here we go again environment. The conversation
can range from sports, to upcoming weekend events in the
city, etc. The relationship between the pilot and sensor
varies as with any other job. Sometimes the crew vibes
well together and has excellent chemistry which can help
pass the time during dull POL missions; other times it
might be hours of silence between the crew. Ultimately
though mission related communications (aircraft warnings,
mission updates, radio communications) trumps all and
takes priority over everything.
The offcial term we have is strike posture; the unoffcial
term is fangs out. Its the moment of the mission where
the crew sits up straight, eyes come wide open, palms
start to sweat, and the radios come alive with instructions,
coordination, and everything else. Since the very frst day
of a RPA operators trainingwe are told to be ready at all
times since that strike posture moment can happen at any
time, and its true; the mission can spin up at a moments
notice. It can happen (and has) any time from the moment
immediately after swapping the outgoing crew and taking
the seat, to several hours into the boring old POL mission
where nothing was happening. It can be a pre-planned
strike against a high value target coordinated amongst
numerous units, agencies, players, etcto a spur-of-the-
moment support of a Troops In Contact (TIC) scenario;
the latter of which REALLY increases the pucker-factor by
fve since time is not usually on the side of our guys on the
ground taking fres.
On the very frst day and all throughout our Basic Sensor
Operator Course, the instructors would tell the class let
it be knownthat in this job, the chances are VERY high
that you may be called upon to take a life; if any Airman
here is uncomfortable with that possibility, there is no
dishonor in informing the cadre and choosing a different
AFSC.
out the last minute pee breaks, fll their tumblers with fresh
coffee, grab their small lunch pale, headset, and quietly
walk out into the Ground Control Station (GCS) for the
changeover brief with the outgoing crew. The sensor
operators (hereby referred to as sensor) always switch
out frst; the outgoing sensor will brief the incoming sensor
on any issues with the aircraft, cameras/sensors, settings,
where the target is on the screen, etc. After the sensors
swap out, the pilots do the same on their side.
The mission can spin up at a
moments notice. It can happen (and
has) any time from the moment
immediately after swapping the
outgoing crew and taking the seat,
to several hours into the boring old
Pattern Of Life mission.
All throughout every part of the long, hard, road to
Combat Mission Ready status, every crewman ponders
how theyll react when the time comes for a live shot.
Will my nerves take control of my hands? Or will I stay
calm, cool, and collective? During technical training at the
various schoolhouses, we trained on complex simulators
and eventually on actual RPAs. On the simulators, the
cadre ran the scenarios professionally and excelled at
increasing the pressure at any random moment. They
would operate the simulator to reproduce any number of
various possible outcomes we could face on operational
missions; from vehicle chases through busy city streets,
to complex operations involving attack helicopters, tanks,
snipers, civilians appearing seemingly out of nowhere,
you name it. Once we moved up to training on actual
RPAs, the scenarios were then ran by the cadre alongside a
contracted company consisting of retired special operators
that had been there, done that. Each was a former Joint
Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) qualifed operator
that specialized in controlling airpower and calling in air
strikes from either airborne assets or ground artillery. They
role-played as the bad guys; dressed in traditional middle-
eastern garbs, manning specialized compounds out in the
middle of the U.S. desert built specifcally for our training.
They did everything from leading us through vehicle
chases to staging mock battles against other members of
the company dressed in their former military uniforms for
the added touch of realism. The training provided by the
schoolhouse and contractors to RPA aircrews is still top-
notch and remains a great asset, which operational RPA
aircrews continue to train with when available.
18
Two of the greatest misconceptions about RPA operations
by the general public are that the aircraft operates
autonomously (it doesnt) and that we have the authority
to shoot at will (we dont).
Long before the days of RPAs, manned aircraft required
the clearance of a Forward Air Controller/Tactical Air
Control Party (TACP) with JTAC certifcation. Contrary
to Hollywoods common theatrics of aircrafts dropping
bombs willy-nilly on enemy positionsin the real world,
the JTAC rules all. Any ordnance expended without his
authority is done so only in the most severe and rare
instances; which to date neither my co-workers nor myself
have ever encountered. The JTAC is the guy on the ground
with the big radio strapped to his pack. He is a master of his
trade that speaks the aircrew and grunt on the ground
languages. When the ground force commander (with the
aid of the military lawyers) has determined that a target
needs kinetic action, he tells his JTAC to make it happen.
Could you tell me a little about the best
and worst moments in your experience
as a MQ-1B sensor operator?
The Rules of Engagement are the laws of the land; and
God help anyone who breaks them because the military
legal system certainly wont. One of the worst moments of
my time as a sensor operator came when we were called
in to provide close-air-support for a TIC in progress; we
arrived just in time to watch as the enemy stashed away
their weapons and thus became unarmed. What had been
previously been men fring at our guys, had become free
to walk away into a small village to potentially kill again
in the future. Our own rulebook bound us, and as much as
everyone wanted to launch a missile before the insurgents
reached the villagewe couldnt without the JTACs
permission, which never came.
Men fring at our guys, had become
free to walk away into a small
village to potentially kill again in the
future. Our own rulebook bound us.
BASECAMP From within the Ground Control Station
operators communicate with troops on the ground, their
mission coordinator and image analysts continuously
through instant messaging, only using the radio when a
combat role is required (Superdrones, 2013).
TIME February 10, 2014 19
The argument that is often heard about
the use of RPAS is the danger of
detachment with the analogy of being like
video games and that it makes it easier
to kill. I know this is often met by the fact
that often you will have to stay and watch
long before and after any action like that
is taken and so have a greater view of
the consequences. Especially when
compared to conventional bombing by
airstrike. Could you tell me a bit about
how you feel about this?
After my frst kinetic strike, I remember somberly taking
out the small picture of Saint Michael the Archangel that
I always carry to work, and quietly saying the invocation
prayer to him. There are no high-fves; no room full of
cheering squadron members to wish the strikers a job well
done. The most one will usually get is a respectful nod as
he walks by, nothing more. After the AAR was complete
and our crew was dismissed for shift, I drove straight to the
base church, walked into the private prayer room, kneeled,
recited a few prayers, and had my personal conversation
with God. I vividly remember asking him that he please
ensures that every kinetic strike from that moment on
afterwards remain just as somber as the frst; to this day
theyve all been so.
In terms of the general culture of you
guys working with RPAS, what is that
like? Especially in regards to combat
missions?
Comparing the job of a RPA crewman to a video game is
about as tantamount as comparing a professional guitarist
to your neighbors Guitar Hero playing child. The two
might appear to use similar interfaces; but the difference
couldnt be further from the truth. To be perfectly honest,
most RPA crewman are bothered by the comparison when
they catch a whiff of a video game reference.
Once a crew engages in a kinetic strike and the situation
calms down; theyre usually promptly replaced by a
fresh crewso that the strikers may start the process of
writing the After Action Report (AAR) while the details
of the engagement are still fresh on their minds. The AAR
contains everything; pilot & sensor settings, the video &
audio recordings, every small detail is included which will
be later scrutinizedto see what could have been done
better, what went right, etc.
MQ-1B aircrews do not have much of a choice in the
ordnance carried by the aircraft. It will always be some sort
of modern variant of the supersonic AGM-114 Hellfre.
To that end, weve become masters at weaponeering it.
We can control (to a degree) nearly every aspect of its
employment, from the sonic boom time, impact angle,
time of fight, and more. If the JTAC tells us that he
requires the missile to have a 30-second fight time before
impact, we make it so. To that end, we are also very
aware of the missiles main limitation, its limited warhead
payload requires precise weaponeering and steady hands
to achieve the JTACs intended effects. Our video archives
are flled with many past examples where the aircrew
miscalculated a number, or perhaps the sensors hand
twitched and the missile impacted just slightly wrong
enough to allow the intended target to simply run out of
the explosion seemingly unscathed. We take the weapon
and its consequences deadly serious.
DEADLY SKIES A building shows extensive damage from a
missile strike only a week earlier in eastern Pakistan.
(Standford NYU, 2012)
20
Generally the media portrays the RPA as an entity in and
of itself; not at as a piece of the bigger system it really
is. Somewhere out there in the battlefeld there are entire
legions of intelligence analysts, targeting cells, ground
commanders and more that are working together towards
a common objective. The RPA and its crew are simply
another tool in the Air Forces arsenal of precision strike
platforms.
The majority of the time the media is so uninformed that
they cant even take the time to fnd the proper image
of the RPA theyre reporting on; news articles reporting
on the deaths of Al Qaeda senior leaders are often
accompanied by a picture of a RQ-4 Global Hawk (a
completely unarmed RPA).
The enemy has quickly adopted this to their own
advantage. Weve watched in real time as insurgents
killed while engaged in combat against coalition forces
have had their weapons quickly removed by other
insurgents posing as innocent villagers and replaced
with gardening tools. The next day theyll have media
outlets reporting on the death of innocent gardeners
killed during a failed RPA strikeand the public eats
it up.
Finally - what do you think about the
accuracy/general credibility of the
general media coverage of RPAS?
A topic that many people raise is the
apparent separation between being at
home with family and then driving to
work and controlling an aircraft that may
be thousands of miles a way and perhaps
already midway through a mission to then
coming home again at the end of your
shift. Could you describe what that is
like, especially from a mental/emotional
point of view?
Truth be told, I personally havent had any issues with
maintaining a regular role as husband to my wife after
shift. She knows what my job is and has a generally good
idea of what goes on when the uniform is donned although
shell never of course know the specifc details. The
conversation after work is generally light and kept simple.
How was your day, honey? shell actually ask. To which
Ill typically and vaguely reply with another day full
of buildings to watch or crazinesschasing bad guys
through the desert, etc.
On the far in between occasion that our mission has gone
kinetic, shell know because Ill have texted a message
to her phone letting her know Ill be late from work and
making a visit to the church. The details need not be shared
between her and Ibut we both take solace in knowing
that life taken on the job is not done eagerly or easily.
Every crewman is constantly reminded of the availability
of the base psychologists services...and the lack of
repercussions against their career if they wish to partake
in any extra sessions with them. In fact, after every kinetic
engagement its mandatory that the crewmen converse
with the psychologist within 24 hours of the strike.
Oddly enough Ive never felt that my feelings have become
bottled up inside of me or restricted in any way.
GROUND CONTROL
STATION
This small container is
the center of control for
a single RPA, kept at a
constant 17
o
C it holds
everything required for
both pilot and sensor
operators. Its small size
allows it to be transported
quickly by aircraft and
set up by 3 people within
4 hours (U Vision UAV,
2011).
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GAINING MOMENTUM A breakdown of the number of RPA strikes used in Pakistan over
the past few years, the jump up when the Obama administration came into power is
clearly visible as well as a gradual drop recently (Pitch Interactive, 2013).
24
Glossary
ARR: After Action Report
AFSC: Air Force Specialty Code (Job title)
CIA: U.S. Government Central Intelligence Agency
GCS: Ground Control Station (Where drones are operated from)
HVI: High Value Individual
HVT: High Value Target (Usually high ranking militants)
IRS: Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance.
JTAC: Joint Terminal Attack Controller
MIC: Mission Intel Coordinator
MQ-1B: Multi-role RPA 1 (Predator)
MQ-9B: Multi-role RPA 9 (Reaper)
POL: Pattern Of Life Mission
PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
RPAS: Remotely Piloted Air Systems
TACP: Tactical Air Control Party
TIC: Troops In Contact
UAS: Unmanned Aerial System
UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
USAF: United States Air Force
RAF: Royal Air Force
RQ-4: Reconnaissance RPA 4 (Global Hawk)
SARM: Squadron Aviation Resource Management
TIC: Troops In Contact
Write to us
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Defnitions | Terms
Confederate
A confederate in a psychological study (also
called a stooge) is a person who on face
value looks like another participant but is
in fact privy to the actual intentions of the
experiment and are often actors, playing out
a part in order to illicit a response from the
subject of the study.
F4 Phantom / F15 Eagle
These are two of the most commonly used
USAF military Jets. Multi-role in nature they
are often used in close air support scenarios.
The F4 is mainly decommissioned from the
USAF now but is commonly used by other
sovereigntiess in the middle east.
Pattern Of Life Mission
These missions are often undertaken by
Predator drones and comprise of weeks or
months of following and observing a particular
person of interest constantly in order to
uncover his network of family, associates and
locations in order to determine if they are a
target or not and to unravel militant networks.
Sparkle / Lase Target
RPAS often do not directly engage targets,
but instead the sensor operator uses the laser
designator integrated into the sensor pod of
the drone to guide in various other airstrikes
and bombing runs from other traditional
aircraft.
RQ-4 Global Hawk
Built to replace the U2 spyplane and the
largest RPAS currently in the US arsenal, the
Global Hawk is an unarmed drone ftted with
large and highly advanced sensor suites that
allow it to operate at altitudes over 50,000ft
with a range of 5,600 nautical miles.
TIME February 10, 2014 25
References
Linebaugh, H, 2013. I worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on. The Guardian,
[Online]. Sunday 29 December 2013, 6. Available at:http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/29/drones-
us-military [Accessed 31 December 2013].
Popular Science. 2013. Piloting A Drone Is Hell. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-08/
psychological-toll-drone-warfare. [Accessed 01 January 14].
Power, M, 2013. Confessions Of A Drone Warrior. GQ Magazine, [Online]. October 23, 2013, N/A. Available at: http://
www.gq.com/news-politics/big-issues/201311/drone-uav-pilot-assassination[Accessed 13 January 2014]
Reddit. 2013. IAmA Drone Sensor Operator, I Have Flown Hundreds Missions Over Iraq And Afghanistan In Support
Of Combat Operations AMAA. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1ghkm7/iama_drone_
sensor_operator_i_have_fown_hundreds/. [Accessed 17 December 13].
Reddit. 2013. I AM Brandon Bryant, former MQ-1B Predator RPA Sensor Operator, Ask Me (almost) Anything!. [ONLINE]
Available at:http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/17rcsx/i_am_brandon_bryant_former_mq1b_predator_rpa/.
[Accessed 16 January 14].
Spiegel Online / Nicola Ab. 2012. Dreams in Infrared: The Woes of an American Drone Operator. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/pain-continues-after-war-for-american-drone-pilot-a-872726.html. [Accessed
18 December 13].
Wood, D, 2013. Drone Strikes: A Candid, Chilling Conversation With Top U.S. Drone Pilot. Huffngton Post, [Online].
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16 January 2014].
Anecdotal
Pilots:
Anecdotal
Civilian:
Human Rights Council. 2012. Complaint Against The United States Of America For The Killing Of Innocent Citizens Of
The Islamic Republic Of Pakistan. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.reprieve.org.uk/media/downloads/2012_02_22_
PUB_drones_UN_HRC_complaint.pdf?utm_source=Press+mailing+list&utm_campaign=89f3db0a75-2012_02_23_
drones_UN_complaint&utm_medium=email. [Accessed 03 January 14].
Nabila Ur Rehman / Washinton Post. (2013). Living in fear of drones. [Online Video]. 13 October. Available from: http://
www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/video/onbackground/living-in-fear-of-drones/2013/10/30/26648730-417e-11e3-
8b74-d89d714ca4dd_video.html. [Accessed: 30 December 2013].
Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, 2011. Mental health diagnoses and counseling among pilots of remotely piloted
aircraft in the United States Air Force. MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE MONTHLY REPORT, [Online]. 3 / 20, 3 - 8. Available
at: http://www.afhsc.mil/viewMSMR?fle=2013/v20_n03.pdf[Accessed 15 January 2014].
Associated Press. 2011. The Al-Qaida Papers - Drones . [ONLINE] Available at:http://hosted.ap.org/specials/
interactives/_international/_pdfs/al-qaida-papers-drones.pdf. [Accessed 02 January 14].
Hazelton, J, 2013. Drones: What Are They Good For? Strategic Studies Institute, [Online]. Winter/Spring 14, 29-
33. Available at: http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/Issues/WinterSpring_2013/4_Article_
Hazelton.pdf [Accessed 05 January 2014].
Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School. 2012. Counting Drone Strike Deaths. [ONLINE] Available at: http://web.
law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/microsites/human-rights-institute/files/COLUMBIACountingDronesFinal.pdf.
[Accessed 25 December 13].
Stanford Law School And NYU School of Law. 2012. Living Under Drones Death, Injury, and Trauma to Civilians From
US Drone Practices in Pakistan. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.livingunderdrones.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/
Stanford-NYU-Living-Under-Drones.pdf. [Accessed 06 January 14].
United States Marine Corps, 2009. Close Air Support Joint Publication. 3rd ed. Washington: USMC.
US Department Of Defense, 2014. Unmanned Integrated Systems Roadmap 2013 - 2038. [Online] Available at: http://
www.defense.gov/pubs/DOD-USRM-2013.pdf[Accessed 06 January 2014].
Documents
Books
Stanley Milgram, 2009. Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (Perennial Classics). Reprint Edition. Harper
Perennial Modern Classics
Martins, M, 2010. Predator The Remote-Control Air War Over Iraq And Afghanistan: A Pilots Story. 1st ed.
Minneapolis: Zenith Press.
26
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