Future Use of Unmanned Robotic Warfare Vehicles Raise Issues

New report cites challenges, charts course ahead for developing unmanned and robotic warfare systems.

Unmanned and Robotic Warfare

CAMBRIDGE, MA, April 1, 2009 – How to leverage America’s current global advantage in innovative warfare technologies is the focus of a new report prepared by the Leadership for a Network World (LNW) Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The report, “Unmanned and Robotic Warfare: Issues, Options, and Futures,” synthesizes discussions and findings from a Harvard Executive Session held in June 2008, and was produced in collaboration with Booz Allen Hamilton.

The Executive Session brought together more than two dozen senior military leaders, both retired and active duty, along with senior civilian researchers to explore the extraordinary developments in unmanned and robotic warfare in recent years and to identify the challenges ahead for systems development and deployment. The report, produced by principal author Zachary Tumin, LNW executive director, and three co-authors, presents the considered views of session participants.

“The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have provided the opportunity for extraordinary innovation coupled with generous funding for robotic and unmanned weapons systems,” said Tumin. “And as we move to the post-war era new challenges arise. How we deal with those challenges is critical for maintaining America’s standing in the world.”

While the United States had just one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in its arsenal ten years ago, today it has approximately 5,000 with some 3,500 currently deployed overseas. The wars have proven to be a valuable laboratory to assess the technology, but the report notes the current “chaos” that has resulted from the unconstrained weapons development efforts in recent years. 

How to harness the tremendous technological advancements in unmanned and robotic weapons systems moving forward underlies the report’s major recommendations:

• Vision: Technological advancements alone should not be the driving force behind weapons development and deployment during wartime. An overarching vision must be consistent with American ideals while maintaining our strategic advantages.
• Structure: Imminent financial constraints driven by myriad pressures will present new challenges for systems development, but must not be allowed to hinder the innovative research and development necessary to create newer and better systems consistent with the vision.
• Leadership: Strong and capable leadership with an understanding of the transformational challenges ahead will be critical to conferring continued strategic advantage from the nation’s investments in unmanned and robotic systems.

“We believe these elements are critical if America is to harvest its investments and continue strategic advantage in line with maintaining its moral authority,” said Tad Oelstrom (USAF, Ret.), director of the Kennedy School’s National Security Program and report co-author. “Having the appropriate vision is a necessary starting point, but carrying that vision forward successfully requires a supportive architecture and strong effective leadership.”

Art Fritzson, vice president of Booz Allen Hamilton and report co-author said, “The United States has made great strides in the early development of unmanned and robotic warfare systems, but we are still in the early stages. This report provides a framework for government and industry to follow as they move forward developing these critical technologies which are essential to our national security.”

The summary report was co-authored by Zachary Tumin, executive director, LNW; Tad Oelstrom, director, National Security Program; Art Fritzson, vice president, Booz Allen Hamilton; and Jerry Mechling, faculty chair, LNW.