Drones have become an increasingly important tool in modern warfare, and nowhere is this more evident than in Afghanistan. Since the United States began its military campaign in the country in 2001, drones have played a key role in gathering intelligence, conducting surveillance, and carrying out targeted strikes against enemy combatants.
The use of drones in Afghanistan began in earnest in 2004, when the U.S. military began deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the country’s mountainous terrain and track the movements of Taliban fighters. At first, these drones were primarily used for reconnaissance and surveillance, providing commanders with real-time video feeds of enemy positions and movements.