The Wire

For the first time ever last year, the US Air Force trained more remote control pilots than traditional fighter pilots. And its fleet of unmanned, drone aircraft has grown from 160 in 2002 to more than 7,000 today. Remote controlled drones are increasingly used to assassinate alleged al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, but their use in countries that the US is not war with, is under question. There’s also mounting concern over the civilian death toll caused by drones. A US congressional panel has also begun an investigation into their use.