Human Factors, Ethics and Morality

There are many benefits to UAS operations. Some benefits include reduced number of military personnel in the field, lower maintenance than manned aircraft, and lower risk than manned aircraft. While the use of UAS has its benefits, there are also ethical and moral issues surrounding the use of UASs. One of the major issues centers on safety and loss of life. The UAS has been targeted for significant loss of life on the ground in combat zones. Casualties of war are not uncommon and it is no secret that innocent people have been killed in the war in Afghanistan, many due to U.S. drone strikes. The collateral damage is an unfortunate disadvantage of UAS operations and an aspect that is rightfully debated due to the safety and morality concerns.

Photo: Inside Unmanned Systems

Safety is not the only concern in the use of UAS in remote warfare. The ethical and moral concerns also extend to privacy and it relates to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The UAS has the ability to provide constant imagery of the enemy while bridging together different forms of data in combat. They carry technology that can transmit electronic communications from radios, cell phones and other devices. It can also link a telephone call with a video or provide the GPS coordinates of the individual using the device (Gordon, 2015). The general concern from the public is that everyone is monitored and somehow innocent civilians get lumped in with enemy combatants. Transparency in operations and increased knowledge and awareness for the public can dispel this misconception.

Human factor concerns are a part of UAS operations, as the system is not completely autonomous and requires input and some manual operation from the operator. Daniel Suarez makes a great argument in his Ted Talk on the future of autonomous robots. He notes several possible scenarios presenting human factor concerns by taking the decision making away from the operator. One concern is visual overload in which endless video footage will make it difficult for humans to review. Electro-magnetic jamming or severed connection between UAS and operator is another possible human factor issue. The directive that a human-being should be present is a great way to ensure the decision making process is a morally responsible one.

The application of UAS is very similar to manned aircraft. The uses include environmental monitoring, search and rescue, logistics, and agriculture support. One significant difference is the use of UAS in situations where manned flight may be too risky or difficult. The debate regarding the ethics of using remotely piloted vehicles in combat operations is on-going. Guy Ben-Ari, a defense expert at the Center for Strategic International Studies says, “…as long as a human is making the decisions behind a weapon's actions, regardless of location, the ethics should be viewed through the same lens that's used for other weapons (Schwappach & Smith, 2011).” The advantages outweigh the disadvantages and continued use of UAS in warfare is necessary to achieve the desired results. By keeping a human in the decision making process the military is working against any sort of misuse of these systems. 

References

Gordon, N. (2015, January 23). Drones and the new ethics of war. Retrieved from         http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/01/23/drones-and-new-ethics-war

Schwappach, A., & Smith, A. (2011, December 8). The ethics of unmanned vehicle warfare. Retrieved from http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/12/08/The-ethics-of-unmanned-vehicle-warfare/26071323344040/

Suarez, D. (2013, June). The kill decision shouldn't belong to a robot. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_suarez_the_kill_decision_shouldn_t_belong_to_a_robot