Monthly briefing from the Open Briefing intelligence unit on developments in remote-control warfare. This month: shadowy Russian private military company fighting alongside Spetsnaz special forces in Syria; US officials explore scenarios for Islamic State ‘dirty bomb’ attacks using drones; studies find mass surveillance having negative impact on democracy and informed debate; and more.
Tag: cyber warfare
Remote-control warfare briefing #14, April 2016: Mercenaries increasingly being used in Yemen conflict, covert activities of French and Italian special forces in Libya revealed, US Department of Defence developing robotics and autonomous systems strategy
Monthly briefing from the Open Briefing intelligence unit on developments in remote-control warfare. This month: mercenaries are increasingly being used in Yemen conflict; the covert activities of French and Italian special forces in Libya are revealed; the US Department of Defence is developing its robotics and autonomous systems strategy; and more.
Securing change: Recommendations for the British government regarding remote-control warfare
The United States has led the way in developing a new way of conceptualising and executing war. With the rise of austerity in Europe, other Western states have adopted part or all of this ‘remote-control warfare’ approach. However, the assessment of recent trends contained in this report makes it increasingly clear that remote-control warfare has its limits. As such, this report makes 31 specific recommendations to the British government.
Remote-control warfare briefing #11, April 2015: US special operations forces withdraw from Yemen, advocacy groups seek halt to autonomous military vehicles and weapons, China’s cyber operations acknowledged by PLA
Monthly briefing from the Open Briefing intelligence unit on developments in remote-control warfare. This month: US special operations forces withdraw from Yemen, severely limiting US counter-terrorism campaign; advocacy groups seek halt to autonomous military vehicles and weapons; China’s cyber operations acknowledged in influential People’s Liberation Army publication; and more.
Blowback: The failure of remote-control warfare
It all seemed so convenient: remote-control warfare would minimise military casualties while rendering the civilian dead invisible. But in this article co-published with openDemocracy, Open Briefing's executive director, Chris Abbott, explains how the battlefield has come home and remote-control warfare is failing.
Remote-control warfare briefing #8, January 2015: Attacks in Paris, terrorist use of drones, Sony Pictures hack
Monthly briefing from the Open Briefing intelligence unit on developments in remote-control warfare. This month: attacks in France, Australia and Canada highlight domestic deployment of special operations forces for counter-terrorism operations; terrorist use of drones presents major potential threat to key sites and personnel in West; hack on Sony Pictures highlights key challenges in cyber security and conflict; and more.
Trends in remote-control warfare: March-September 2014
Since April 2014, Open Briefing has produced a series of monthly intelligence briefings on developments in remote-control warfare, including special operations forces; private military and security companies; unmanned vehicles and autonomous weapons systems; cyber warfare; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. This report provides a detailed overview of the key trends that have emerged during the period covered by the previous five briefings.
Drones, special forces and mercenaries: Remote-control warfare briefing #05
Monthly briefing from the Open Briefing intelligence unit on developments in remote-control warfare. This month: increasing number of mercenaries in foreign conflicts from Balkans region; state and non-state hacker groups launch cyber attacks on Israel in response to Operation Protective Edge; US officials grapple with political and economic costs of NSA’s surveillance activities; and more.