The Use of Autonomous or Remote Weapon Systems

Elements of International Law
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Elements of International Law
Throughout history, humans have manipulated and advanced weapons to inflict violence and damage enemies. With the advent of autonomous weapons and remote weapon systems, the application of force in undertaking military missions needs minimal effort, human decisions, and oversight. This implies that these weapons systems can inflict high levels of violence, damage, and injury that have never been seen before. Notably, there are different reasons to support or oppose the use of autonomous or remote weapon systems, as will be discussed below.
First, I support autonomous and remote weapons systems because of their ability to enhance national security. Over the years, we have seen how technological advancement and innovation have determined the fate of wars worldwide. Examples of autonomous and remote weapon systems include the invention of uncrewed aerial vehicles, which are directly linked with innovations in cyberspace. Military personnel can undertake deadly missions through such weapon systems with minimal ground involvement. Therefore, autonomous and remote weapon systems are vital in enhancing national security. They assist military officers in gathering intelligence reports through aerial surveillance (Rae, 2014). In addition, they can also be used to strike enemies without the direct involvement of personnel. The drones and unmanned aerial vehicles can observe persistently and assist in avoiding civilian victims during warfare. The goal is to reduce the impact on innocent people and ensure that the mission is precisely undertaken. Another aspect that enhances national security is the ability of these drones and unmanned aerial vehicles to detect a number of troops deployed, naval missions, and training camps for terror groups. With this massive capacity to collect intelligence reports, I support the use of autonomous and remote weapons systems to enhance national security (Rae, 2014).
While the weapons help enhance national security, there are legal issues related to drones and unmanned aerial vehicles in the military. Using drones poses whether such missions are undertaken following a legal framework for managing warfare. However, the legal aspect regarding autonomous and remote weapon systems concerns whether an individual accepts the war on terror. There must be sufficient legal justifications to support the killing of terrorists instead of following alternative courses of action. In most instances, people relate the legal aspect based on the human rights outlook (Rae, 2014). However, I believe that drones and unmanned vehicles are used in the circumstances with no other alternatives. When terrorists kill innocent civilians, they outrightly deny others their right to life. Therefore, there is no legal obligation against the use of autonomous and remote weapon systems to k...