Virtuous drones?

Abstract

The use of drones in recent conflicts by Western states has proved controversial. Obama's ‘kill list’ and the use of remote ‘execution’ have inspired passionate debates about the ethics and use of these systems. Proponents of their use highlight their alleged ‘precision’ and make the point that such weapons may prevent the necessity for ‘boots on the ground’; at least in certain contexts. In this article we wish to build on the idea of drones as both useful but also perhaps as ‘virtuous’. We do not make this case for the universal deployment of drones but rather for the specific case of United Nations peacekeeping missions.