Integration and Closing

This chapter reviews the overarching conclusions, lessons and insights of this study. In doing so, it retains the book’s emphasis on considering both academic and operational perspectives related to autonomous weapon systems (AWS) by presenting a twofold output. The first is theoretical: a recapitulation is provided of all major legal findings related to each chapter’s main theme. Emphasis is placed on the most important concepts that were introduced in this book ,and which can be adopted in future academic works and discussions to advance our understanding of targeting law related to AWS. The second is practical and operational: in order to aid commanders, one of the main beneficiaries of this book, to use AWS responsibly and lawfully under realistic battlefield conditions, this chapter offers a practical flowchart that Deployers can employ as a cognitive framework to ensure no legally-relevant considerations or measures are forgotten during the decision-making process leading up AWS release. The chapter ends with reflections on the overall study, and by highlighting important matters that merit analysis and discussion in future work.