According to Dictionary.com, a drone is “an unmanned aircraft or ship that can navigate autonomously, without human control or beyond line of sight.” Drones, or “unmanned aerial vehicles,” have been used in the military since as early as the beginning of the 20th century. Back then it was mostly unpiloted balloons that were sent over enemy lines to attack areas more accurately. Since then, drone technology has come a long way. Drones are capable of surveillance, cargo transport, search and rescue missions, maritime patrol and unmanned attacks.

There is a lot of speculation on whether or not drones are more helpful than they are hindering. The easiest way for us to get to the bottom of this drone issue is to weigh out the pros and cons of the situation.

Pro: Drones kill fewer citizens than any other military weapon. The majority of mass-destruction war machines create huge collateral damage, especially when not properly directed. When it comes to military use, the drone is one of the most trusted apparatus to get the job done correctly.

Con: Drones still kill a large amount of civilians. It may be that they cause the least damage out of the military militia, but that does not mean that it does not cause any collateral damage at all. It is estimated by a meta-study of drone strikes that between 8-17% of casualties caused by drones are civilian.

Pro: Drones are safer for military personnel. Drones are launched from bases around the globe, making them completely unmanned and minimizing the risk of injury and fatality for those operating them.

Con: Drone missions are secretive and prevent citizens from holding operators accountable. This is another issue that is highly controversial: Do we want to know who is being killed and why? Do we want to know who is authorizing the killing? If the answer is yes, drones make it much more difficult to place accountability on any one person.

Pro: Drone missions are cheaper than manned aerial operations or engaging in ground. Manned aerial attacks cost roughly 42 times more to operate, costing the tax payer incredible amounts to keep the military effective. With the use of drones, the taxpayer’s hard-earned dollars are being put into the developing area of drone use.

Con: Drone strikes usually kill low-value targets that are not significant threats to US security. While it is true that the drones cost less to operate and put into use, is it worth the cost if the drones are killing those who are not considered threats to the US? According to the New America Foundation, from 2004 to 2012 an estimated 49 “militant leaders” were killed in drone strikes, constituting “2% of all drone-related fatalities.”

We can view all of the variables that go into drone missions and drone operation, but it is whether or not you think the pros outweigh the cons that can justify to use of drones as a valid military operative.