1 hr 1 min

Drone Wars Throughline

    • History

Unseen, they stalk their targets from thousands of feet in the air. Operators are piloting them from military bases halfway across the world. At any moment, they could launch a strike that comes without warning. The attack drone was supposed to be a symbol of the era of precision warfare — a way to wage wars with fewer casualties on both sides. It's a technology that's been honed since it was first dreamed up during World War 1. But are drones actually precise enough? Do drones desensitize us to the casualties of civilians caught between us and our enemies? In this episode, we will explore the past, present and future of drone warfare.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Unseen, they stalk their targets from thousands of feet in the air. Operators are piloting them from military bases halfway across the world. At any moment, they could launch a strike that comes without warning. The attack drone was supposed to be a symbol of the era of precision warfare — a way to wage wars with fewer casualties on both sides. It's a technology that's been honed since it was first dreamed up during World War 1. But are drones actually precise enough? Do drones desensitize us to the casualties of civilians caught between us and our enemies? In this episode, we will explore the past, present and future of drone warfare.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

1 hr 1 min

Top Podcasts In History

The Rest Is History
Goalhanger Podcasts
American Scandal
Wondery
Throughline
NPR
You're Wrong About
Sarah Marshall
American History Tellers
Wondery
Dark History
Audioboom Studios

More by NPR

Up First
NPR
Fresh Air
NPR
Throughline
NPR
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
NPR
Planet Money
NPR
Consider This from NPR
NPR