Publication Date
Spring 5-1-2018
School
College of Arts and Sciences
Major
History
Keywords
UAV, UAS, Drones, Kettering Bug, Aphrodite, Lightning Bug, Targeted Killings, Drone Warfare, RPV, REF, Rapid Equipping Force
Disciplines
Military History | United States History
Recommended Citation
Tubbs, Luke, "Perception is Everything: Repairing the Image of American Drone Warfare" (2018). Senior Honors Theses. 744.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/744
Abstract
This thesis will trace the United States’ development of unmanned warfare from its initial use in the World Wars through the Cold War to its final maturation in the War on Terror. The examination will provide a summary of unmanned warfare’s history, its gradual adoption, and concerns regarding the proliferation of drones use to understand the emphasis on unmanned weapons in the American Military. In each phase of development, a single program will be focused on to highlight special areas of interest in the modern day. Finally, the modern era of unmanned systems will focus on the growing integration of new weapon systems which no longer fulfill niche roles in the armory but act as fully vetted frontline combatants. Brought together, this examination will show drones have earned their place as integral tools in the American military inventory as faithful defenders of democracy.
