Overview

Unmanned systems have become a vital component of U.S. military operations in the twenty-first century. They are here to stay, and their utility will continue to expand. Nevertheless, uninformed beliefs and biases continue to skew the discourse regarding unmanned systems. These systems do not constitute a fundamental change in the nature or character of warfare. Policymakers, strategists, or operators who attempt to use unmanned systems in place of human prudence will be profoundly disappointed with the results. They are not a revolution in military affairs, nor do they provide easy answers to the challenges of war. While all of the Services have developed and fielded unmanned systems, the U.S. Air Force's evolution of unmanned aircraft since 2001 is particularly illuminating for future endeavors.Rather than pursue robotic autonomy, the U.S. military must cultivate professional service members with the skill and discipline to wield unmanned systems adeptly. The Services must fully integrate the tactics and technology of unmanned systems with manned components of the force, as both will be crucial in future endeavors. Leaders should never allow technology to dictate policy or strategy; unmanned systems must always fit into legitimate and comprehensive plans.This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.I - Unmanned Systems Past And Present * Unmanned Aircraft in the U.S. Military * Unmanned Ground Systems and Mission Command * Unmanned Maritime Systems * II - Aviators And Innovators * III - A Revolution In Military Affairs? * The Pitfalls of Believing in RMAs * There is no Red Button of Death * Total Situational Awareness is an Illusion * Proliferation is not Exponential * Are Unmanned Systems Really More Bang for the Buck? * More Machines, Fewer Humans: the Wrong Answer * Robotic Autonomy * IV - Are Unmanned Systems Making More Terrorists? * Too Seductive for Policymakers? * Legality * Civilian Casualties * Proliferation and Asymmetric Warfare * V - Where To Go From Here * Professionalism * Integrated Technology and Tactics * Prudent Policy and Comprehensive Strategy * ConclusionTwo explanations exist for the burgeoning interest in military unmanned systems over the past decade. The first is the most obvious: they are multiplying across the globe. Advances in technology, cost considerations, and persistent conflicts waged by modern societies fuel this proliferation. Unmanned systems satisfy numerous requirements for policymakers and combatants. Their utility will continue to expand. The second explanation for the prevalence of unmanned systems in public discourse is more subjective-they impassion people across a wide spectrum of beliefs and interests. Engineers envision marvelous new creations. Futurists and philosophers contemplate the implications of autonomous robots. The defense industry sees a profitable market. Military budgeters imagine billions of dollars in savings. Commanders clamor for solutions to extend their situational awareness (SA) and control of the battlespace. Soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines (and their loved ones) envision war without friendly casualties. Meanwhile, pacifists proclaim that drones are slaughtering innocents, and conspiracy theorists think the movie The Terminator is now a reality. In other words, assertions about unmanned systems often depend more on a speaker's beliefs than on the facts, and these biases distort the collective discussion. The critical thinker must endeavor to minimize these inevitable shades, but one cannot eliminate them.

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