Leaked classified government documents reveal the U.S. military's heavy reliance on predator drones may be a costly threat to civilians and cause other problems.

The documents were released by The Intercept, and challenge President Obama's statements on the progress of counter-terrorism maneuvers and other military operations around the world. The publication comes as the Obama Administration announced 5,500 U.S. troops would remain in Afghanistan until 2017 as threats to Afghan Security Forces persist.

The documents, which cover drone strike operations from 2011 to 2013, highlight that a number of people killed in drone strikes were not targets, but were recorded as EKIA, or "enemies killed in action." Other problems identified include limited intelligence resources for tracking down suspected terrorists in Yemen and Somalia.

Despite the setbacks, The Intercept notes how drone warfare has become a staple of U.S. military operations.

"They have become so addicted to this machine, to this way of doing business, that it seems like it's going to become harder and harder to pull them away from it the longer they're allowed to continue operating in this way," the source who leaked the documents told The Intercept.

According to The Hill, the implications of the documents run contrary to the Obama Administration's claims that drone strikes are a second option when capturing a suspected terrorist is possible.

"America does not take strikes when we have the ability to capture individual terrorists; our preference is always to detain, interrogate, and prosecute. America cannot take strikes wherever we choose; our actions are bound by consultations with partners, and respect for state sovereignty," Obama said in a speech at the National Defense University in 2013.

Unmanned aircraft flies alongside manned craft in U.K. civil airspace for first time
Washington (UPI) Oct 15, 2015 - Thales Group announced their Watchkeeper unmanned aircraft system successfully flew alongside commercial aircraft through U.K. civil airspace on Sept. 30.

The flight marks the first time a certified UAS has flown in both civilian and military airspace. The trial was part of Project CLAIRE, a collaboration between Thales, the U.K. Ministry of Defence, the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory, and the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority. The Watchkeeper was also the first craft of its type to be awarded a Release to Service.

The program is a response to the growing need for drones to be used for civilian purposes such as search and rescue, commercial, homeland security, and infrastructure and border protection. Air Commodore Pete Grinsted, Head of Unmanned Air Systems Team at the MOD's Defense, Equipment and Support, said the flight marks an important step toward exploring more uses for unmanned craft.

"The successful flight is the result of months of systematic planning to ensure Watchkeeper was safely controlled by UK Air Traffic Control agencies at all times," Grinsted said in a statement. "This is also an exciting step on the path to safely integrating military and civilian unmanned air systems into civilian airspace over the coming years."

The Watchkeeper X tactical UAS was designed by Thales for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance based on the Watchkeeper program. It has over 16 hours of endurance and has a maximum transit speed of 95 knots.