Description
Military drone operators have long been a particular kind of military member. For states that had them, drones were primarily long-range assets, where operators engaged targets at a distance and often stayed far away from the grit of war. As a result, they were sometimes portrayed as lesser military members, even cowards, both within and outside of military institutions. In the last five years, smaller, shorter-range drones have been proliferating among state and non-state actors. The war in Ukraine has also shifted the idea of what a drone operator is, with Ukrainian operators being portrayed as close to the front line, but still technically proficient. Using interviews with Canadian army members who use drones, this paper shows the shifting narratives around drone use are reflected in Canada as well. One unit in particular was attached to the idea that drone operators were in some way more ‘elite’ than average soldiers, expressing this through physical and mental strength. This re-negotiation of drone operator identity changes the way that drone operators are perceived beyond the war on terror, shifting the focus away from cowardice and towards a regular or elite military member.
