Despite recent calls for greater oversight of Drone use 55 percent of British people support the use of the technology, with just 23 percent opposing them.
If it was guaranteed that no innocent civilians were killed that level of support would rise to 67 percent, according to YouGov.
The figures will reassure the Ministry of Defence, in a week the House of Commons Defence Committee called for “greater openness” around the use of Drones. The committee’s report said that transparency would help “debunk myths and counter misinformation”.
Conservative MP, Aidan Burley, told Breitbart London: “Drones are an essential part of our modern military, and I am glad the public recognise this. We have had major problems with guerrilla warfare and improvised explosive devises in Afghanistan. Drones are a way of getting to hard to reach areas without risking troops being injured or killed by IEDs.
“Obviously they need to be used responsibly, but all evidence from theatres of combat show that British forces do everything they can to minimise risks to civilians.”
Full details of the survey are below:
- 55% of people would support using drones to attack a known terrorist overseas, 23% would oppose it.
- If it was guaranteed that no innocent civilians would be killed, support would rise to 67%, with 21% opposed.
- If it was likely that two or three innocent civilians would be killed, 43% would support drone strikes to kill a known terrorist overseas, 41% would be opposed.
- 57% agree with the argument that drones help reduce casualties by removing the need to send pilots.
- 47% agree with the argument that they make it “too easy” for Western counties to make strikes in foreign counties.
- Only 25% agree with the argument that they are more likely to cause civilian deaths.