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AGA: Arbeitsgruppe Physik und Abrüstung

AGA 3: Military-relevant R&D and New Technologies

AGA 3.2: Talk

Thursday, March 5, 2009, 11:30–12:00, VMP 9 HS

Unmanned Military Systems: Preventive Arms Control Needed — •Jürgen Altmann — Experimentelle Physik III, TU Dortmund, 44221 Dortmund

Unmanned vehicles find increasing military interest. About 50 countries produce or develop unmanned aerial vehicles, 20 export them. Providing them with weapons is underway in the USA; further countries developing unmanned combat air vehicles are France, Germany, Russia and the UK. In particular the US military are pushing for an integrated approach for air, ground, water-surface and underwater vehicles, the outlook extends to 2032. Arms-control treaties have only marginal effect up to now. Export controls are in effect for ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and UAVs - however these controls pose no limits on the strongest military powers. Various problems raise concerns about peace and international stability, the international law of warfare or the security of societies: proliferation to crisis regions, killing by remote control - or even by autonomous machine decision -, and the possible use for terrorist attacks. Preventive arms control is advisable; ideas will be presented.