The Rise of Unmanned Warfare

The Hand Behind Unmanned tells the fascinating story of the people, processes, and beliefs that led to the contemporary American unmanned arsenal. Jacquelyn Schneider and Julia Macdonald detail over a hundred years of advances in weapons technology, from mines and balloons to Predators and Reapers, to explain why certain types of unmanned systems became popular while others languished. Their exploration reveals how multiple factors--influential policy entrepreneurs, critical historical junctures, lessons from previous conflicts, and the military's own culture--all interacted in complex ways to generate today's unmanned arsenal. The book also provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of America's unmanned arsenal and the potential future pathways it might take.