What are drone strikes?

Drone strikes are air-to-ground attacks fired from unmanned aerial vehicles instead of manned aircraft. These have the advantage of allowing the military to project force without putting pilots at risk from anti-aircraft fire. Drones are stealthy remote-controlled vehicles that can remain airborne for long periods before attacking their targets.

Drone strikes have become controversial due to their use inside countries that America is not formally at war with. Drones allow the military to strike targets with precision and much less collateral damage than a conventional attack would allow, but their use around civilian populations has led to criticism of drone strike policies.