Final answer:
The US military's use of drones for aerial bombardment in the 'war on terror' has led to high civilian casualties, continuing a historical pattern of air warfare's imprecise nature and the challenges it poses to distinguishing between combatants and civilians.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question seems to concern US military actions using drone technology, specifically referring to the deployment of remotely controlled planes equipped to drop bombs. These drones have been involved in the "war on terror" in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. It's noteworthy that the use of aerial bombardment, whether through drones or manned aircrafts, has often resulted in high civilian casualties. Historically, even before drones, military strategies involving air raids have been controversial due to their imprecise nature and the resulting unintended destruction, going back to the World Wars where entire cities were targeted to demoralize the enemy, often resulting in civilian casualties.
During the Vietnam War, for example, the US military declared 'free-fire zones' and dropped an estimated 14 billion pounds of explosives. This approach was aimed at disrupting the capabilities of enemy forces but also contributed to significant civilian casualties. Similarly, in the modern 'war on terror', the use of aerial strategies with drones has been criticized due to the civilian toll. Precision-bombing was intended to minimize such losses, but challenges such as weather and difficulties in distinguishing combatants from civilians in complex war zones have led to tragic mistakes.