Revelations in Haiti: The Side Effects of New Priorities for Remotely Piloted ISR Aircraft

摘要

The RQ.-4 Global Hawk, MQ.-1 Predator, and other remotely piloted intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms typically perform combat missions to defeat improvised explosive devices or locate and neutralize enemy forces. However, the US response to the devastating earthquake near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 12 January 2010 challenges the paradigm that ISR simply counteracts threats.1 In response to the Haiti disaster, the international community initiated a massive recovery and relief effort.2 The United States alone deployed more than 22,000 military personnel, 30 ships, and 300 aircraft in support of Operation Unified Response.' The deployed aircraft included several manned and remotely piloted ISR platforms.