Virtual warfare? Using drones in Afghanistan to ‘spot’ IEDs

It seems that the main weapon used by the Taliban against NATO forces in Afghanistan is the IED - hardly a day goes by without a news report about a British soldier being killed or wounded by such a device. In response the western forces using drones in Afghanistan to provide intelligence and firepower. They use sophisticated cameras to spot suspicious activity and attack the Taliban as they plant the IEDs.

All this highlights the differing tactics used by the opposing sides and the lengths that NATO forces go to avoid casualties. The idea of British personnel piloting drones from a portacabin in their base and using machinery rather than manpower to carry out operations fits into the idea of ‘virtual warfare’. This concept is part of the debate about the ‘revolution in military affairs’, ‘new wars’ and the James Der Derian book ‘Virtuous War: Mapping the Military-Industrial-Media-Entertainment Network’.