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Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution
The untold story of the birth of the Predator drone, a wonder weapon that transformed the American military, reshaped modern warfare, and sparked a revolution in aviation The creation of the first weapon in history whose operators can stalk and kill an enemy on the other side of the globe was far more than clever engineering. As Richard Whittle shows in Predator , it was one of the most profound developments in the history of military and aerospace technology. Once considered fragile toys, drones were long thought to be of limited utility. The Predator itself was resisted at nearly every turn by the military establishment, but a few iconoclasts refused to see this new technology smothered at birth. The remarkable cast of characters responsible for developing the Predator includes a former Israeli inventor who turned his Los Angeles garage into a drone laboratory, two billionaire brothers marketing a futuristic weapon to help combat Communism, a pair of fighter pilots willing to buck their white-scarf fraternity, a cunning Pentagon operator nicknamed "Snake," and a secretive Air Force organization known as Big Safari. When an Air Force team unleashed the first lethal drone strikes in 2001 for the CIA, the military's view of drones changed nearly overnight. Based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews, Predator reveals the dramatic inside story of the creation of a revolutionary weapon that forever changed the way we wage war and opened the door to a new age in aviation.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 16, 2014
57 people are currently reading
797 people want to read
About the author
Richard Whittle
6 books15 followersRichard Whittle, author of Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution (Henry Holt and Company, September 2014), and The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey, (Simon & Schuster, 2010), is a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington and 2013-2014 Alfred V. Verville Fellow at the National Air and Space Museum. He writes occasionally for Air & Space Smithsonian magazine, the web site Breaking Defense, and other publications. Rick covered the Pentagon and other Washington beats for The Dallas Morning News for 22 years and previously covered defense and foreign policy for Congressional Quarterly. He has also been an editor at National Public Radio. His articles have been published in the Christian Science Monitor, a wide range of other newspapers and magazines, and on The Atlantic Monthly web site. He has also appeared on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” C-SPAN, National Public Radio and a variety of other television and radio broadcasts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 26, 2014
An interesting, readable, and well-written history of the origins, development and deployment of the Predator drone. Whittle is good at describing everything that transformed the Predator from a novel and seemingly bizarre concept to America’s weapon of choice in the war on terror: the people, the technology, and everything else.
Whittle uses both official records and personal recollections, and brings them together in an interesting and readable narrative. He describes the bureaucratic infighting and intrigue that both hindered and drove the drone’s development, and does a good job highlighting all of the Predator’s technical issues.
Whittle begins his story with the Israeli Abe Karem, the beginnings of General Atomics, and how it all led to the development of the Predator. He gives us an interesting look at all the testing and the technical problems that prevented it from being fully operational on September 11, 2001. He is good at describing the interaction between the military, the CIA, and Presidents Clinton and Bush. The most interesting part was the role the Predator played immediately following the 9/11 attacks., although Whittle describes only the Predator’s Afghan operations and nothing about later operations in Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia.
Also interestingly, most previous accounts said that the twelve experimental drone flights flown over Afghanistan in 2000 were flown from Langley, but in reality, as Whittle reveals they were actually flown from Ramstein in Germany (without the knowledge of the German government).
Among the other interesting new revelations that Whittle provides, he also reveals that the idea of arming the Predator with Hellfire missiles actually had nothing to do with the CIA’s operations against bin Laden, at least not originally. Nor was the concept of an armed UAV a secret.
There are a few instances of rather juvenile phrasing like “super-secret” and “shit-hot,” or writing “jury-rigged” rather than “jerry-rigged,” but these occur only briefly and do not disrupt an otherwise readable narrative
In all, a very interesting and well-written study of the origins of a strange and novel concept that has now become America’s weapon of choice.
Whittle uses both official records and personal recollections, and brings them together in an interesting and readable narrative. He describes the bureaucratic infighting and intrigue that both hindered and drove the drone’s development, and does a good job highlighting all of the Predator’s technical issues.
Whittle begins his story with the Israeli Abe Karem, the beginnings of General Atomics, and how it all led to the development of the Predator. He gives us an interesting look at all the testing and the technical problems that prevented it from being fully operational on September 11, 2001. He is good at describing the interaction between the military, the CIA, and Presidents Clinton and Bush. The most interesting part was the role the Predator played immediately following the 9/11 attacks., although Whittle describes only the Predator’s Afghan operations and nothing about later operations in Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia.
Also interestingly, most previous accounts said that the twelve experimental drone flights flown over Afghanistan in 2000 were flown from Langley, but in reality, as Whittle reveals they were actually flown from Ramstein in Germany (without the knowledge of the German government).
Among the other interesting new revelations that Whittle provides, he also reveals that the idea of arming the Predator with Hellfire missiles actually had nothing to do with the CIA’s operations against bin Laden, at least not originally. Nor was the concept of an armed UAV a secret.
There are a few instances of rather juvenile phrasing like “super-secret” and “shit-hot,” or writing “jury-rigged” rather than “jerry-rigged,” but these occur only briefly and do not disrupt an otherwise readable narrative
In all, a very interesting and well-written study of the origins of a strange and novel concept that has now become America’s weapon of choice.
August 31, 2014
News stories about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are commonplace today, but "Predator" readers may be surprised to learn that the US had only two armed drones after the terrorist attacks on September, 11 2001. The UAV system was still very much under development at the time, and the author combines the remarkable story of aircraft and electronic design with the intrigue of CIA and military operations. Although there is no human on board, the units are not really unmanned, but are controlled by a large team of dedicated individuals on the ground that make life and death decisions that have resulted in the drone system being called an intercontinental sniper rifle.
To enable this extraordinary reconnaissance and attack system required the combined development of aerodynamics with electronics and software integrated into split communications support. The aerodynamic achievement resulted with unparalleled aircraft endurance approaching twenty-four hours in the air with its heavy payload. The ingenious communications methods used a crew in the Middle East to takeoff and land the drones before and after hand offs to a crew in the US that flew the spy and sniper portion of each mission.
The author weaves the back story of many of the individuals involved in the development of the drones as the project story is unfolded for the reader. It adds somewhat to understanding the resistance to the drone program and to the tenacious dedication of those who believed in the concept.
The hero of the story is one of the first drones with tail number 3034. This little drone was the primary development platform that also served in over 3,000 missions in the Middle East, and today hangs honorably in the Smithsonian Institute. It is followed by more than 8,000 drones serving today, and roughly 165 armed Predators.
If you enjoy stories about engineering, government and political battles, military exploits, and secret stuff, then this is a book you shouldn’t miss.
To enable this extraordinary reconnaissance and attack system required the combined development of aerodynamics with electronics and software integrated into split communications support. The aerodynamic achievement resulted with unparalleled aircraft endurance approaching twenty-four hours in the air with its heavy payload. The ingenious communications methods used a crew in the Middle East to takeoff and land the drones before and after hand offs to a crew in the US that flew the spy and sniper portion of each mission.
The author weaves the back story of many of the individuals involved in the development of the drones as the project story is unfolded for the reader. It adds somewhat to understanding the resistance to the drone program and to the tenacious dedication of those who believed in the concept.
The hero of the story is one of the first drones with tail number 3034. This little drone was the primary development platform that also served in over 3,000 missions in the Middle East, and today hangs honorably in the Smithsonian Institute. It is followed by more than 8,000 drones serving today, and roughly 165 armed Predators.
If you enjoy stories about engineering, government and political battles, military exploits, and secret stuff, then this is a book you shouldn’t miss.
December 17, 2014
Predator covers the story of the birth of the Predator drone and its effect on military and covert operations. Richard Whittle manages to weave through the military and aeronautic bureaucracy of the Predator as it is destined to become the most successful military unmanned aircraft.
I was surprised to see the level of detail about the development of the aircraft. I would think that much of the information would be secret. Or that those involved would be quiet about its history. Whittle clearly was able to uncover a tremendous amount of detail. The story is rich, enjoyable to read, and compelling.
The Predator drone was ugly, slow and unreliable. The key to its success was its ability to stay in the air for an extended period of time. Manned craft are limited by human endurance. The Predator can have flight crews swapped while in flight.
Everything else was good old-fashion ingenuity to expand the use and conquer the problems with the plane’s technical limitations. One key was the ability to transmit video not only to the pilots, but to other military leaders. That level and length of surveillance was compelling for military leaders.
According to the author, the turning point for the Predator happened during the Bosnian War. Those were the first flights in combat, but limited to surveillance.
It was the war in Afghanistan that pushed the Predator into more action. That turning point was the idea of mounting a hellfire missile on the aircraft. The Predator could not only watch the enemy, but could take action.
The book is focused on the history of the Predator, not the legal and ethical implications of the Predator. Part of that history is the legal analysis of mounting a missile on the aircraft and who can authorize taking a shot. There was some concern that the Predator with a missile could be classified as a cruise missile and be subject to weapon treaties with Russia.
The book’s historical narrative ends in 2002. That leaves most of the ethical implications to the book’s epilogue. Is it ethical to fight a war by remote control, with uniformed Air Force pilots blowing up targets on the other side of the world from their safe, air-conditioned work stations? Are the attacks assassinations or merely defensive strikes in the War on Terror?
The ethical implications are felt by the pilots. They are not whisking over target at supersonic speeds delivering their payloads with little time to see the damage. A Predator pilot has the continuing transmission to watch as the aircraft lumbers along above the target looking at survivors and victims.
The publisher provided me with a free review copy of the book.
http://www.compliancebuilding.com/201...
I was surprised to see the level of detail about the development of the aircraft. I would think that much of the information would be secret. Or that those involved would be quiet about its history. Whittle clearly was able to uncover a tremendous amount of detail. The story is rich, enjoyable to read, and compelling.
The Predator drone was ugly, slow and unreliable. The key to its success was its ability to stay in the air for an extended period of time. Manned craft are limited by human endurance. The Predator can have flight crews swapped while in flight.
Everything else was good old-fashion ingenuity to expand the use and conquer the problems with the plane’s technical limitations. One key was the ability to transmit video not only to the pilots, but to other military leaders. That level and length of surveillance was compelling for military leaders.
According to the author, the turning point for the Predator happened during the Bosnian War. Those were the first flights in combat, but limited to surveillance.
It was the war in Afghanistan that pushed the Predator into more action. That turning point was the idea of mounting a hellfire missile on the aircraft. The Predator could not only watch the enemy, but could take action.
The book is focused on the history of the Predator, not the legal and ethical implications of the Predator. Part of that history is the legal analysis of mounting a missile on the aircraft and who can authorize taking a shot. There was some concern that the Predator with a missile could be classified as a cruise missile and be subject to weapon treaties with Russia.
The book’s historical narrative ends in 2002. That leaves most of the ethical implications to the book’s epilogue. Is it ethical to fight a war by remote control, with uniformed Air Force pilots blowing up targets on the other side of the world from their safe, air-conditioned work stations? Are the attacks assassinations or merely defensive strikes in the War on Terror?
The ethical implications are felt by the pilots. They are not whisking over target at supersonic speeds delivering their payloads with little time to see the damage. A Predator pilot has the continuing transmission to watch as the aircraft lumbers along above the target looking at survivors and victims.
The publisher provided me with a free review copy of the book.
http://www.compliancebuilding.com/201...
October 26, 2014
A terrific piece of non-fiction, an excellent story, a thought-provoking slice of history that dramatically featured in the new millennium's most significant events, and, at the same time, an intriguing case study of disciplines ranging from the law of war, defense procurement, innovation within bureaucracy, and even the psychology of warfare (as killing by remote control from another continent becomes commonplace, while simultaneously offering the trigger puller unprecedented, clear images of the devastation wrought). All that in one volume is no small achievement.
Sure that's quite a broad spectrum, but the book - even with such an ambitious scope - succeeds because (1) Whittle's background as a reporter/journalist shines through - he's a pleasure to read; and (2) despite the fact that his protagonist is a machine, Whittle makes clear that the Predator's story is all about people. And when Whittle introduces you to people, you can't help but care about them. (Granted, as he concedes, Whittle has spent a career meeting extraordinary people, and this book is no exception. But his enthusiasm shines through - it's infectious, contagious, and gratifying.)
Whittle crystallizes this theme with a splendid riff in his epilogue, reminding us of the fallacy of the nomenclature "unmanned aerial vehicle". There may not be a pilot aboard, but men and women - however remotely located - are what make them tick.
I recommend this book without hesitation to anyone interested in, among other things, military history, national security, technology development, defense procurement, public policy, Al Qaeda (and/or 9/11 and the USS Cole), or, at its most basic, current events.
And, of course, if you haven't read Whittle's Dream Machine, which chronicles the development and deployment of the V-22 Osprey, I highly recommend that as well.
Sure that's quite a broad spectrum, but the book - even with such an ambitious scope - succeeds because (1) Whittle's background as a reporter/journalist shines through - he's a pleasure to read; and (2) despite the fact that his protagonist is a machine, Whittle makes clear that the Predator's story is all about people. And when Whittle introduces you to people, you can't help but care about them. (Granted, as he concedes, Whittle has spent a career meeting extraordinary people, and this book is no exception. But his enthusiasm shines through - it's infectious, contagious, and gratifying.)
Whittle crystallizes this theme with a splendid riff in his epilogue, reminding us of the fallacy of the nomenclature "unmanned aerial vehicle". There may not be a pilot aboard, but men and women - however remotely located - are what make them tick.
I recommend this book without hesitation to anyone interested in, among other things, military history, national security, technology development, defense procurement, public policy, Al Qaeda (and/or 9/11 and the USS Cole), or, at its most basic, current events.
And, of course, if you haven't read Whittle's Dream Machine, which chronicles the development and deployment of the V-22 Osprey, I highly recommend that as well.
August 21, 2016
I have to admit to being a little uncomfortable reading this book, but in the end it provoked a chain of thought that might lead to a book I write myself one day, so I have to thank Richard Whittle for that!
Why uncomfortable? This book is a very apolitical look at a very political topic. The Predator and its successor the Reaper have killed thousands of people in recent years and according to the Center for Investigative Journalism, 134 of these (to Feb 2015) were civilians. So although this is a well written account of the development and deployment of this new and frightening weapon, I kept reminding myself this is not a story about the development of a new way of delivering parcels from Amazon (though drone technology may well be that one day), this is the story of the development of a new killing machine.
But the book inspired me to dig a little deeper into military plans for the use of drones in warfare and it may surprise you to know there are many who see drones (unmanned air, sea or land warfare machines) are the future of warfare. Bard College Center for Drone Studies calculated that the US Department of Defence is planning to spend 4.3 bn USD on drone technology projects in 2017 in every arm of the defence forces from the US airforce, to the navy, army and DARPA.
Reading all this makes you realise there is little doubt that future machines of war will not have human pilots or drivers in them (though they will still hopefully be in control), just as the cars we drive to work every day will one day soon be able to drive themselves. The difference being that my commuter vehicle isn't armed with Hellfire missiles (yet! though some days I wish it was...).
A good book is one for me which tells a story well, which this does, but also provokes a lot of thinking, fantasising and conversation, which Whittle's book certainly did!
Why uncomfortable? This book is a very apolitical look at a very political topic. The Predator and its successor the Reaper have killed thousands of people in recent years and according to the Center for Investigative Journalism, 134 of these (to Feb 2015) were civilians. So although this is a well written account of the development and deployment of this new and frightening weapon, I kept reminding myself this is not a story about the development of a new way of delivering parcels from Amazon (though drone technology may well be that one day), this is the story of the development of a new killing machine.
But the book inspired me to dig a little deeper into military plans for the use of drones in warfare and it may surprise you to know there are many who see drones (unmanned air, sea or land warfare machines) are the future of warfare. Bard College Center for Drone Studies calculated that the US Department of Defence is planning to spend 4.3 bn USD on drone technology projects in 2017 in every arm of the defence forces from the US airforce, to the navy, army and DARPA.
Reading all this makes you realise there is little doubt that future machines of war will not have human pilots or drivers in them (though they will still hopefully be in control), just as the cars we drive to work every day will one day soon be able to drive themselves. The difference being that my commuter vehicle isn't armed with Hellfire missiles (yet! though some days I wish it was...).
A good book is one for me which tells a story well, which this does, but also provokes a lot of thinking, fantasising and conversation, which Whittle's book certainly did!
September 2, 2014
Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution by Richard Whittle is a very well-written and engaging history of the Predator UAV program. Whittle does a great job of conveying the initial reluctance that the armed forces had towards UAVs, and then the great urgency to get them into the field after 9/11. Some very talented people worked on this program and overcame some difficult technical challenges in creating a working UAV system. I highly recommend this book for anyone curious about UAVs, how they operate, and how they came to be such an integral part of the U.S. Air Force.
October 30, 2015
I had this one sitting out because I had just received it in the mail as a GoodReads FirstReads. My son was intrigued and I let him take the book. So it may be a while before I have the chance to review it.
September 23, 2014
Excellent! A concise and well-written history.
November 30, 2014
Predator is a lively, enjoyable read that tells the winding tale of how the Predator (and other UAVs similar to it) came to be and how this technology has revolutionized modern combat. The story begins in Israel with Abe Karem, an aeronautical genius, who is challenged to find a way to use unmanned equipment in order to combat anti-air defenses for the Israeli Air Force. As the story unfolds, Abe has a falling-out with the Israeli defense industry and moves to the United States to start his own company. Since he was a child, Abe was fascinated with small hobbyist aircraft. As a result, he was able to create aircraft that had the characteristics to fly over 24 hours. Due to circumstances beyond his control, Abe's company was eventually bought by a larger company and his intellectual property and prototype aircraft went with it.
In a strange series of twists and turns, the aircraft that came to be known as the Predator came into being. First, the aircraft flew missions over Kosovo and did nothing more than reconnaissance missions - and it had to be within line-of-sight range to control it. Over time, the UAV was outfitted with a series of targeting and imagery pods so that it could target spot for military aircraft. Next, the "next logical step" occurred and the Predator was armed with a variant of the Hellfire missile (which was originally designed to destroy tanks). After a series of tests, the Hellfire proved successful. Within a day or so after the Sept 11th attacks, the Predator was in the skies of Afghanistan. In two or three separate instances, the Predator team located "a tall man in white robes" and the CIA was very confident that he was Osama bin Laden. Although the team did not get word in time to take the shot, the Predator did score Hellfire hits on terrorists during the first days of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Predator is an outstanding read and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in military (or aviation) history. It was fascinating to watch how the Predator came to be through various fits and starts. The team would recognize a need for the UAV and they would inevitably 'MacGyver' something together and would improve it over time.
In a strange series of twists and turns, the aircraft that came to be known as the Predator came into being. First, the aircraft flew missions over Kosovo and did nothing more than reconnaissance missions - and it had to be within line-of-sight range to control it. Over time, the UAV was outfitted with a series of targeting and imagery pods so that it could target spot for military aircraft. Next, the "next logical step" occurred and the Predator was armed with a variant of the Hellfire missile (which was originally designed to destroy tanks). After a series of tests, the Hellfire proved successful. Within a day or so after the Sept 11th attacks, the Predator was in the skies of Afghanistan. In two or three separate instances, the Predator team located "a tall man in white robes" and the CIA was very confident that he was Osama bin Laden. Although the team did not get word in time to take the shot, the Predator did score Hellfire hits on terrorists during the first days of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Predator is an outstanding read and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in military (or aviation) history. It was fascinating to watch how the Predator came to be through various fits and starts. The team would recognize a need for the UAV and they would inevitably 'MacGyver' something together and would improve it over time.
August 29, 2021
Predator (2014) by Richard Whittle is an excellent look at the development of the aircraft and the deployment of the Predator UAV.
The book follows Abraham Karem's work for the Israeli defense industry and his move to the United States and his work on making UAVs a reality and how his work became absorbed into General Atomics and their creation of UAVs that had a greater endurance than previous aircraft.
The book also mentions in passing the US Army's Aquilla drone program and mostly answers the question of why UAVs disappeared after the Firebee drones used in Vietnam until the creation of the Predator and other UAVs in the in the mid 1990s. It becomes apparent that the electronics required to make a very useful drone like the Predator were not built until the 1990s and that the communications systems required did not exist until then.
The descriptions of how Predators were altered to use satellite communications after a hand off from pilots using C-band radio to take off is fascinating. Also the way that the Hellfire missile was bolted on to the Predator is a great story. It also becomes clear that only the US had all the requirements to build a drone like the Predator.
The book details how the Predator was used first in the former Yugoslavia and then in Afghanistan and how the footage and utility became such a highly prized asset.
The character descriptions in the book are well done, a number of the people involved are well enough described to become well liked.
It's an excellent book about the creation of an exception aircraft. The author has done a great job in writing a very readable, highly enjoyable book.
The book follows Abraham Karem's work for the Israeli defense industry and his move to the United States and his work on making UAVs a reality and how his work became absorbed into General Atomics and their creation of UAVs that had a greater endurance than previous aircraft.
The book also mentions in passing the US Army's Aquilla drone program and mostly answers the question of why UAVs disappeared after the Firebee drones used in Vietnam until the creation of the Predator and other UAVs in the in the mid 1990s. It becomes apparent that the electronics required to make a very useful drone like the Predator were not built until the 1990s and that the communications systems required did not exist until then.
The descriptions of how Predators were altered to use satellite communications after a hand off from pilots using C-band radio to take off is fascinating. Also the way that the Hellfire missile was bolted on to the Predator is a great story. It also becomes clear that only the US had all the requirements to build a drone like the Predator.
The book details how the Predator was used first in the former Yugoslavia and then in Afghanistan and how the footage and utility became such a highly prized asset.
The character descriptions in the book are well done, a number of the people involved are well enough described to become well liked.
It's an excellent book about the creation of an exception aircraft. The author has done a great job in writing a very readable, highly enjoyable book.
March 7, 2016
Another amazing book by author Richard Whittle. I am just as amazed by his style of writing as I was with his first book, "The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey".
In this book, Whittle describes the evolution of a particular drone, known as the Predator. A commonly known drone which has been reported on countless times in the media.
As for the drone or UAV revolution, Whittle describes where it all began and where it is going. The US military was the first to use a drone in war. It was used initially in the 90s as merely a surveillance asset. The key moment in time, that aided the arming of drones, was 9/11. Only a couple of months after US President Barack Obama declared war on Al Qaeda, the first Predator drone fired a Hellfire missile at Al Qaeda target. To understand this revolutionary technology, I will take you back to March 2002 which was four months into Operation Enduring Freedom. At that time, the US military owned 82 drones, including both armed and unarmed versions. As of 2010, the US military owned 150 different types of drones, between 40 and 4000 lbs. The total number of drones in control by the US military, at that time, was 8,000 (or just shy of 100 times as many 9 years earlier).
As with Richard Whittle's previous book about the V-22 Osprey, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the military comples, aircraft, drones or UAVs , and emerging technology. This book is definitely ☆☆☆☆☆ worthy.
In this book, Whittle describes the evolution of a particular drone, known as the Predator. A commonly known drone which has been reported on countless times in the media.
As for the drone or UAV revolution, Whittle describes where it all began and where it is going. The US military was the first to use a drone in war. It was used initially in the 90s as merely a surveillance asset. The key moment in time, that aided the arming of drones, was 9/11. Only a couple of months after US President Barack Obama declared war on Al Qaeda, the first Predator drone fired a Hellfire missile at Al Qaeda target. To understand this revolutionary technology, I will take you back to March 2002 which was four months into Operation Enduring Freedom. At that time, the US military owned 82 drones, including both armed and unarmed versions. As of 2010, the US military owned 150 different types of drones, between 40 and 4000 lbs. The total number of drones in control by the US military, at that time, was 8,000 (or just shy of 100 times as many 9 years earlier).
As with Richard Whittle's previous book about the V-22 Osprey, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the military comples, aircraft, drones or UAVs , and emerging technology. This book is definitely ☆☆☆☆☆ worthy.
November 6, 2014
A very easy read. Whittle traces the evolution of modern drones, the politics of how they began abd how they became armed. The evolution of these drones is tied very closely to the Global War on Terror. A lot of these sort of books can be a struggle to read. This book flows beautifully and is very easy to follow.
September 19, 2014
Excellent livre sur l'histoire et le développement du Predator.
Un seul regret : il s'arrête un peu trop tôt et ne se poursuit guère au delà du début des opérations en Afghanistan. Il est néanmoins excellent !
Un seul regret : il s'arrête un peu trop tôt et ne se poursuit guère au delà du début des opérations en Afghanistan. Il est néanmoins excellent !
November 16, 2016
Very well written. Engaging story of how the UAV was brought to service and how it is changing the future of warfare.
January 8, 2022
You just find some books at the right place at the right time. This was one such.
The impact this book has had on my life as an aircraft designer! Phew.
The impact this book has had on my life as an aircraft designer! Phew.
January 16, 2024
My Amazon review on March 10, 2017: Pandora's Box unleashed
Gee, the peer pressure is almost too much here! So many 4s and 5s. I might prefer 3.5 stars because this is a solid and certainly comprehensive effort. But a great book? Perhaps not. The history of the drone idea and its subsequent development and deployment is fully done and credit to the author. Yet the book seems to waver about a bit in its focus. Some story lines seem to exist for no particular purpose, although it does add some needed human interest (particularly the story of the Blue brothers, which was one of the more engaging but sort of pointless story lines). At times it can be quite dry in describing the bureaucratic infighting and details. While necessary to understanding anything of modern military weapons development it can get pretty gruesome in the telling. The sheer number of officers, agencies, weapons labs and layers of military-industrial complex can be daunting and ultimately sort of boring. The book is also a combat history of the early drone and falls a little short there with a lack of maps and often context for the missions themselves. But there are some gems uncovered in these accounts as well. For instance where the analysts in Bosnia were converting drone video to still photos since that is what they were used to! Still it is very interesting to see the evolution of the drone and be left to wonder where it will all lead. As we watch the Battle for Mosul these days and the ubiquitous drone usage by ISIS it is clear that this story has much yet to be told, but Pandora's Box seems an apt analogy if there ever was one.
Gee, the peer pressure is almost too much here! So many 4s and 5s. I might prefer 3.5 stars because this is a solid and certainly comprehensive effort. But a great book? Perhaps not. The history of the drone idea and its subsequent development and deployment is fully done and credit to the author. Yet the book seems to waver about a bit in its focus. Some story lines seem to exist for no particular purpose, although it does add some needed human interest (particularly the story of the Blue brothers, which was one of the more engaging but sort of pointless story lines). At times it can be quite dry in describing the bureaucratic infighting and details. While necessary to understanding anything of modern military weapons development it can get pretty gruesome in the telling. The sheer number of officers, agencies, weapons labs and layers of military-industrial complex can be daunting and ultimately sort of boring. The book is also a combat history of the early drone and falls a little short there with a lack of maps and often context for the missions themselves. But there are some gems uncovered in these accounts as well. For instance where the analysts in Bosnia were converting drone video to still photos since that is what they were used to! Still it is very interesting to see the evolution of the drone and be left to wonder where it will all lead. As we watch the Battle for Mosul these days and the ubiquitous drone usage by ISIS it is clear that this story has much yet to be told, but Pandora's Box seems an apt analogy if there ever was one.
December 29, 2020
A comprehensive and thought-provoking read on a topic that polarizes our nation. Whittle did a fine job capturing the complex world of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), from its origins, development, and implementation into ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) and ultimately into the battlefield.
I enjoyed the chronological format of this book, which shows the roots of the drones/UAVs being built from one man’s garage to becoming a staple in the military industrial complex today. It was quite intriguing to see how the development of UAVs took form before and after the 9/11 attacks. UAVs were seemingly an afterthought prior to 9/11 but it’s development was fast tracked after 9/11 which included the shift from being an unarmed surveillance UAV to becoming a Hellfire missile armed UAV that greatly transformed the military landscape.
The story mainly follows the Predator, a UAV developed by defense contractor General Atomics, and its evolution from a clunky plane that was marred with limitations, both functionally and bureaucratically, to a fully developed vehicle that was admired and relied upon in times of trouble by President Obama.
The book does get bogged down into frivolous details about certain people throughout, however, it does not detract much from the overall presentation of the story.
I enjoyed the chronological format of this book, which shows the roots of the drones/UAVs being built from one man’s garage to becoming a staple in the military industrial complex today. It was quite intriguing to see how the development of UAVs took form before and after the 9/11 attacks. UAVs were seemingly an afterthought prior to 9/11 but it’s development was fast tracked after 9/11 which included the shift from being an unarmed surveillance UAV to becoming a Hellfire missile armed UAV that greatly transformed the military landscape.
The story mainly follows the Predator, a UAV developed by defense contractor General Atomics, and its evolution from a clunky plane that was marred with limitations, both functionally and bureaucratically, to a fully developed vehicle that was admired and relied upon in times of trouble by President Obama.
The book does get bogged down into frivolous details about certain people throughout, however, it does not detract much from the overall presentation of the story.
April 10, 2024
The book delves into the origins of the Predator drone, tracing its development from a seemingly fragile concept to a formidable weapon capable of conducting targeted strikes on enemies located thousands of miles away. Whittle introduces readers to a remarkable cast of characters who played pivotal roles in the creation of the Predator, from a former Israeli inventor tinkering in his Los Angeles garage to billionaire entrepreneurs marketing futuristic weaponry drone,what sets "Predator" apart is its exploration of the resistance and skepticism faced by the drone program within the military establishment. Despite initial doubts about the utility of drones, a handful of visionary individuals—including fighter pilots, Pentagon operators, and members of the secretive Air Force organization known as Big Safari—championed the technology and pushed for its adoption.
June 14, 2017
An excellent book about the history of UAV's, specifically around the General Atomics Predator (AKA RQ-1, MQ-1). The author does a great job in presenting the various personalities that either pushed for or against the idea of UAV's in the military.
The author also illustrates many of the problems inherit in military procurement. The Predator is a bit of a hacked together system, resembling more like a Silicon Valley startup attitude to product design. It took the genius of small groups to rapidly evolve the Predator from a PoC to a combat deployed system.
Big Safari would be an awesome group to work for. Part Skunk Works, part startup, they are the antithesis of set-in-their-ways military. They are the ones that come up with big ideas and execute them quickly.
For me, this was a fun book about a new wave of aviation that is really less than two decades old. Today, most combat units expect to have UAV support of some type. Before 2001, this was a rarity. Now the world is awash with drones.
The author also illustrates many of the problems inherit in military procurement. The Predator is a bit of a hacked together system, resembling more like a Silicon Valley startup attitude to product design. It took the genius of small groups to rapidly evolve the Predator from a PoC to a combat deployed system.
Big Safari would be an awesome group to work for. Part Skunk Works, part startup, they are the antithesis of set-in-their-ways military. They are the ones that come up with big ideas and execute them quickly.
For me, this was a fun book about a new wave of aviation that is really less than two decades old. Today, most combat units expect to have UAV support of some type. Before 2001, this was a rarity. Now the world is awash with drones.
December 4, 2018
This book would make a fantastic movie. Although these events are still pertinent to the world today I would wait some time before actually making it if you actually wanted to if at all. Not getting into specifics. The tale is about a bunch of people who could not be pilots because of physical differences such as injuries or they were just too short. They got a second chance to with the UAV program. I admit almost tearing up trying to put myself in the shoes of the soldiers in one seen of the book. There is a lot of build up from the beginning, and this is only the first half of the story. I would end it with a certain Navy Seal Team mission, but that is another book in addition and another ten years to talk about. The beginning is exciting following a man trying to start his own business in aeronautics after emigrating to America. That is all I will say, no spoilers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2018
3.5 Stars.
What should have been obvious, i.e., weaponizing unmanned aircraft, was almost thwarted by lack of foresight, egos, and bureaucratic infighting. Whittle does a good job of following the development of the predator from the end of WWII to the attack on the towers. However, he often gets bogged down in superfluous details about the lives of individuals, and this seriously detracts from the flow of the narrative. It also makes the reader slog through the minutia to find the important and actually interesting information.
What should have been obvious, i.e., weaponizing unmanned aircraft, was almost thwarted by lack of foresight, egos, and bureaucratic infighting. Whittle does a good job of following the development of the predator from the end of WWII to the attack on the towers. However, he often gets bogged down in superfluous details about the lives of individuals, and this seriously detracts from the flow of the narrative. It also makes the reader slog through the minutia to find the important and actually interesting information.
July 1, 2023
I enjoyed the evolutionary history of the development of the drone, but didn't feel the author's writing style flowed easily for me. There were too many sentences with multiple qualifying statements which would tend to detract from the original subject of the statement. Also, I think I would have enjoyed learning more about other drone development activities which were occurring simultaneously. These were often implied, but never detailed. Otherwise, a very informative and interesting read.
August 7, 2024
This book is an extremely well-researched and detailed history of the Predator UAV, including details of tests and field use against U.S. enemies. It’s a bit technical but easy reading. Despite the—to me—obvious potential for UAVs in many fields, not just military, the military services—especially pilots—failed to see that potential. In many cases, the bureaucratic and political in-fighting delayed development of Predator and may have allowed civilian and military fatalities.
March 1, 2018
Informative good read
I felt it started out slow with Karem. Once Mr. Whittle got into the late 1990 military applications the facts and trail of events were fascinating. The organization and presentation were excellent.
I felt it started out slow with Karem. Once Mr. Whittle got into the late 1990 military applications the facts and trail of events were fascinating. The organization and presentation were excellent.
August 31, 2019
This is an interesting take on the government side of how the Predator came to be. Less Skunkworks and more gripping thriller, Whittle sheds light on the post-9/11 environment that brought UAVs from fringe technology to mainstream weapon.
March 8, 2019
Excellent review of how drones were incorporated into operational scenarios before they were mature - too valuable an idea not to exploit it. Good mix of the human and technical.
Read
May 25, 2020It was a good informative read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2020
Exceptional.
October 4, 2021
Read now I won't be sorry
In Depth well written, totally detailed and fully briefed. I am now writing more because I'm required to in order to submit
In Depth well written, totally detailed and fully briefed. I am now writing more because I'm required to in order to submit
March 10, 2022
Amazing book, without bullshit, very well written.
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