Piloted remotely from a Nevada air base half a world away or by soldiers on the scene, unmanned aircraft have become so indispensable in Iraq and in the war on terror that by next year the U.S. could be spending nearly seven times more on the vehicles than it did before the 9/11 attacks.

The aircraft were heavily used after last month’s bombing of a mosque in Samarra, Iraq, highlighting how prevalent they have become for a military thirsty for vehicles that can drop bombs or hover over targets without risking pilots’ lives.

When Iraq erupted in ethnic violence after the February 22 attack on the sacred mosque, the planes — known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs — lingered over trouble spots so officials could used the crafts’ video cameras to see where crowds were gathering and whether they were armed or violent.

Source and more info: cnn