On Killing Remotely

The former commander of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft unit explores the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions of PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots. "Remotely piloted aircraft, aka drones -- used initially for surveillance and now, increasingly, as precisely targeted weapons -- have revolutionized how nations throughout the world protect and defend their citizens. Anyone joining the U.S. Air Force today is more likely to be trained as an RPA crew member than to pilot a traditional airplane. Twenty-five years ago the book On…