Unmanned Systems: The Robotic Revolution as a Challenge for Arms Control

There is an IT revolution going on in the military: Of almost every military hardware currently in use (including tanks, fighter jets, patrol boats or submarines) an unmanned variant has been developed or is in development. Automation and autonomy are keywords when it comes to procurement. This revolution is based on the vast increase in computing power and communication bandwidth, political will and the fact that most of the relevant technology is dual-use. This chapter looks at the nexus of armament and technology in general and autonomous weapons and the increasing reliance on information technology (IT) in the military in particular. While many recent developments in IT, automation and autonomy offer military advantages at first glance, a more detailed analysis reveals severe problems that will most likely have a destabilising effect on the international realm. This problem is amplified by the fact that traditional means of arms control have fallen behind, when it comes to controlling IT. The text concludes that new arms control methods and techniques have to be developed to hedge against the destabilising effects of certain military IT.