【2011 Archives】

Predator drones will no longer haunt the sky above parts of the Middle East011 ArchivesAfrica, though another type of drone will take their place.

MQ-1 predators and other military drones have launched hellfire missiles in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and other nations. The predator's been around for more than two decades.

The reaper drones that will take its place are faster, have better sensors and can carry more explosive power, according to the Defense Department. Reapers have been used in tandem with predators for a decade, but next year predators will give way to their more advanced counterparts entirely, allowing the military to eliminate training costs for the lesser of the two types of drones.

Detractors have said American drone strikes are "extrajudicial killings" that are a "violation of the right to life." Though the U.S. government says it targets extremists and that "collateral damage" is rare, independent estimates of civilian deaths during these strikes range from several hundred to more than 1,000.

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