Killer Drone. Memoirs of a Combat Drone Operator

«A must-read if you want to understand the new way of warfare». — General Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and CIA. For nearly a decade, Brett Velikovich was at the center of American next-generation military technology and used drones to eliminate the world’s most dangerous terrorists. Velikovich is one of the few who had the authority to choose targets and issue death orders. This memoir contains unique and, until recently, classified information about the most complex and secret missions in which Velikovich hunted his targets in the hottest conflict zones, protecting the lives of military personnel and civilians. He provides a detailed account of the search and elimination of 16 out of 20 of the world’s most wanted terrorists. The author also recounts the heartbreaking story of using drones to rescue a missing Iraqi woman and a group of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Velikovich offers a unique perspective on the remarkably complex nature of drone operations, the tactical and technical solutions underlying them. The book also includes a brief history of the evolution of the U.S. armed forces over the past decade and the technologies behind it.