Abstract

Saddled with vengeful nicknames as Reaper or Predator, drones gradually become essential weapons for the military in modern warfare. Not a day goes by without the media recount the assassinations of insurgents fallen under the missiles dropped by drones in the North of Pakistan. To these victims we should add civilians killed by inaccurate CIA bombings. The drone became a legally questionable dreadful weapon but it also provides numerous opportunities in the civilian sector such as for instance forest fire prevention and in rescue missions after natural disasters.

Key words : drone, unmanned aerial vehicle, military and civilian use, International law, control.