Do military drone operators deserve medals for controlling remote aircraft over battlefields thousands of miles away? UK 鈥� a controversial suggestion that will spark heated debate. That debate is rooted in an age-old argument about technology in warfare.
The US has already batted this issue around. Three years ago, defence secretary Chuck Hagel , which would have been awarded to uncrewed aircraft and cyber warfare operatives. The American Legion, a veterans鈥� organisation, and others to holders of existing combat awards. Critics dubbed it the 鈥済eek cross鈥�.
Behind such objections is the idea that warfare is a physical contest of skill and bravery, with victory awarded to the virtuous. But technology has been undermining that notion ever since the first sharp stone was flung from behind cover.
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So strong was the idea of virtue in combat in 1096 that Pope Urban II banned the use of the crossbow on Christian opponents. It was not that this was a particularly brutal weapon, but that it allowed a low-born foot soldier to kill an aristocratic knight on horseback. Killing hand-to-hand with lance and sword was considered chivalric, while killing from a distance was ignoble and cowardly.
The argument against honouring drone crews is much the same. Operators in cubicles in Nevada in the US or Lincolnshire in the UK do not face the same physical risks as colleagues in the battle zone. They do, however, suffer disproportionately from post-traumatic stress disorder. Unlike jet pilots, drone operators see the results of their missile strikes close up 鈥� camera resolution is good enough to identify scattered body parts. Psychological damage, though less visible than physical injury, is real. On that basis, Fallon鈥檚 suggestion is justified.
The British military : campaign medals for those who serve in a particular conflict or operation, and awards for valour. The new drone medal would be of the first variety.
Stealth may be Fallon鈥檚 best approach. In the US, the Pentagon earlier this year. These are variants of existing medals, some with an R prefix to indicate Remote roles. Drone operators earn less than their counterparts in crewed aviation, and have less chance of promotion. Such awards will at least provide some measure of recognition and encouragement at a time when there is a shortage of recruits.
In the longer run, this debate could become even more divisive. The UK Ministry of Defence maintains that a but new drones like BAE Systems鈥� Taranis will be able to carry out missions autonomously.
Is it possible that artificial intelligences will one day display what we now consider courage and daring above and beyond the call of duty, carrying out actions that would win a human pilot a medal? Will new types of award be created to motivate uncrewed systems to carry out acts of valour? If so, expect new battle lines to be drawn in the debate over military honours.
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