TIME, January 9, 2012, page 21
The U.S. has about 7,000 drones that are up in the air longer than manned attack aircraft, and more „pilots are being trained to operate them than manned aircraft. Each drone costs $8 million and needs a ground crew of 180 to pilot and kill, to operate its sensors, and analze the data it collects, as well as to maintain this killing machine. Because of their increasing vulnerability to air defenses, the military industries are working on turning the drones into stealth drones. The CIA operates its own drone fleet that have killed some 2,000 since 9/11.
The „pilots“ of drones grew up as virtual killers with computer games, never being in touch with a real victim. Now, they are really killing real victims but have no sensual connection to their victims and their suffering: They are still just images on a computer screen.
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