The President employs the CIA Special Activities Division to carry out the actual strikes, using two primary types of drones. The original drone is the MQ-1 Predator and its successor is the more advanced MQ-9 Reaper. The Predator has a cruise speed of 81 to 103 mph and a range of 2,000 miles. At 172 to 195 mph, the Reaper's cruise speed is nearly twice the Predator's and its range exceeds the Predators at 3,200 miles. Both drones have a normal service ceiling of 25,000 feet, but the Reaper has a maximum operational altitude of 50,000 feet. The Predator is equipped with two weapon stations and can carry a combination of two Hellfire missiles, four small Stinger missiles and six Griffin air-to-air missiles. The Reaper's seven weapon stations can carry a combination of up to 14 Hellfire missiles, two 500-pound laser-guided Paveway bombs and 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions bombs. The Predator has a wingspan of 48.7 feet and an overall length of 27 feet. Reaper's wingspan measures 66 feet. Overall length is 36 feet, and its maximum takeoff weight is 10,500 lbs.5 .
The attacks in Pakistan are centered in the Federally Administered Tribal Area, which serves as a buffer zone between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The area is seen as a sort of "wild west" area because it is largely unregulated by the Pakistani government. The forces that "occupy" it today, foreign superpowers competing against ideological enemies, essentially shaped the development of the fragile the area in the era of colonialization. In the early 1900's, while the British had colonial rule over India, they lead a bombing campaign in the area to suppress potential uprisings. In regards to the bombing, Hugh Trenchard, Royal Air Force Chief of Staff at the time said, "In warfare against savage tribes who do not conform to codes of civilized warfare, aerial bombardment is not limited in its method or objectives by rules agreed upon in international law.
