Kelsey D. Atherton

In preparation for a summit on laws of war governing lethal autonomous machines, the UK outlined the steps at which human control can be baked into the design process.

To protect an airbase in Jordan, France is training a squadron in counter-drone warfare.

Repeated drone attacks on a Russian-operated airbase in Syria showcase the new asymmetric war in the sky.

To familiarize the next generation of Russian officers with the particulars of war robots, Russia announced standards for training cadets to design drones.

In light of an apparent assassination attempt via drone in Venezuela, it’s important to understand how drones have been used before and what countermeasures exist.

Together with Finland and Latvia, Estonia is looking to fund the development of military robots that will carry sensors, supplies, and people, but not weapons of its own … yet.

Despite the perceived low cost and ease of tools, remote warfare with special forces and remotely piloted vehicles is a much more limited tool for achieving military and political ends than policy makers assume.

Scratch-built hover bikes are possible thanks to cheap drone parts, and could add a new layer of complexity to conflict as they enable low flying human scouts and maneuver.

Policy makers have seen drones as a one-size fits-all answer to complex national security threats. But with it is becoming increasingly difficult to evaluate drone policy, much less determine if that policy is achieving the objectives it was set out to address