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War by remote control

How have unmanned drones changed battlefields and military budgets?

embedded video .. http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/countingthecost/2011/12/2011121785524212676.html .. 26 mins ..

.. the first bit drones .. then into Italian financials to entrepreneurship .. not the time for entrepreneurs to back off .. jobs .. why still .. in UK 1 million (he thinks) 16-24 out of work .. demand a big problem .. moment of opportunity for entrepreneurs ..

Counting the Cost .. Last Modified: 17 Dec 2011 10:08

The business of drones, the unmanned aircraft which can either spy or attack, is projected to be a $7bn industry next year. This is not much in the $1.6tn big picture of military spending, but it is the economics that has the world's biggest defence spender interested. In harsh economic times, drones make sense.

To keep one 24-hour reconnaissance mission in the air would take eight traditional manned planes, as many as 15 pilots, and about 96 mechanics; but the same mission using drones would need just three aircrafts, with four pilots on the ground and just 35 mechanics.

On this episode of Counting the Cost, we take a detailed look at the cost of defence spending on drones and exactly what else a drone is capable of.

Also on the show, a focus on Italy, to look at how some eurozone nations are sorting out their austerity measures.

The story goes that back in 1965, 30-year-old Luciano Benetton saw a market for the brand's now-famous colourful clothing, and sold his younger brother's bicycle to buy a second-hand knitting machine to get the business going.

Luciano's company, the Benetton Group, now turns over around 2 billion euro per year. His son, Alessandro Benetton, now the executive deputy chairman of the Benetton Group, joins Counting the Cost to discuss doing business during a Europe-wide slowdown.

And, an interview with James Caan, the well-known British entrepreneur, as we continue looking for answers in this stagnant business world.

Counting the Cost can be seen each week at the following times GMT: Friday: 2230; Saturday: 0930; Sunday: 0330; Monday: 1630.

Click here for more on Counting the Cost.

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/countingthecost/2011/12/2011121785524212676.html