The Future of Drone Warfare

Journalist and arms expert Thomas Meuter, along with his colleague Stefan Nitschke, has written an extensive technical book. The title is "Drones – Innovations and Strategies of Modern Warfare: The Future of Unmanned Military Aviation in Europe." In the current conversation, Thomas Meuter discusses modern drone technology and contemporary drone warfare. "Drones have undergone a remarkable transformation in terms of technology, performance, and military application within just a few years. What was long regarded as a specialized technology for reconnaissance, surveillance, and individual military special tasks has now become one of the critical factors of modern warfare. The war in Ukraine has accelerated this development at an unprecedented pace." 

Meuter explains how drones work in conjunction with powerful sensors, fast data connections, reliable navigation, artificial intelligence, command and control, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and logistical support. The expert also addresses the question of how far the networking of autonomous systems goes and what risks this poses for our society. Are drones already autonomously deciding who should be killed and when? Who is responsible then? Where does military drone technology end and where does the use of such autonomous systems begin in police or security agencies? Like all modern technologies, drones also have a "dual-use" capability, meaning they can be used not only for destructive purposes — although that is their primary area of application — but also in search and rescue operations, for the recovery of injured individuals, and generally in disaster relief. The book "Drones – Innovations and Strategies of Modern Warfare: The Future of Unmanned Military Aviation in Europe" is available directly from AMAZON.