Whether for their military (kill), surveillance (watch), or humanitarian (aid) capability, drones have begun to make a mark on the world of international affairs. As interest in the use of unmanned systems  grows, so too does the need to scrutinize our assumptions and probe the limitations of knowledge about them.  Drone Week provides that space.

Join us on twitter to debate the implications of a robotic present and future – a world filled with Predators, Switchblades, Herons, and KingFish, and the swarm of strategic, ethical, and legal questions that come in their wake.

In the series

Drones for Human Rights

Drones for Human Rights

By:

Christopher Tuckwood on why UAVs should be added to the human rights tool box.

Gregory Johnsen on Yemen, the U.S., and Drones

Gregory Johnsen on Yemen, the U.S., and Drones

By:

OpenCanada’s interview with the author of The Last Refuge.

Where Drones Fit in Fields of Violence

Where Drones Fit in Fields of Violence

By:

There are serious concerns to navigate when it comes to the political geography of remote warfare.

The View From the Ground

The View From the Ground

By:

Renee Filiatrault on what it means to have an eye in the sky for the boots on the ground.

Are Drones Right for Canada?

Are Drones Right for Canada?

By:

Major-General Fraser Holman (Retired) on how Canada might best make use of UAV technology.

Drone Knowns and Unknowns

Drone Knowns and Unknowns

By:

Joshua Foust on why the discussion around drone strikes is muddled and vague at best.

The Case for Humanitarian Drones

The Case for Humanitarian Drones

By:

Jack C. Chow on how drones can dramatically change aid – if only we can overcome the stigma associated with them.

The Case Against Humanitarian Drones

The Case Against Humanitarian Drones

By:

Nathaniel A. Raymond, Brittany Card, and Ziad Al Achkar on why drones should not be deployed in humanitarian operations

Letting Drones Reach their Potential

Letting Drones Reach their Potential

By:

Ryan Calo on why the potential uses of drones for good are endless and should be protected from citizen backlash.

The Slow Death of the ‘Non-Combatant’

The Slow Death of the ‘Non-Combatant’

By:

Jennifer Welsh on how targeting processes for drone strikes challenges how we traditionally distinguish non-combatants in war.

The Robotics Revolution

The Robotics Revolution

By:

Brookings senior fellow Peter W. Singer on the broader implications of the use of drones for surveillance and war.

Drones For Good

Drones For Good

By:

Matthew Schroyer on why so many people get drones wrong – they’re not all heartless, pilotless killing machines.

Drone Proliferation

Drone Proliferation

By:

Denis Stairs on why the proliferation of military drones could be both a stabilizing and destabilizing force.

Why Drones Win

Why Drones Win

By:

Amitai Etzioni on why, in terms of morality and efficiency, drones win hands down.

Lethal Drones

Lethal Drones

By:

Council on Foreign Relations fellow Micah Zenko on how UAVs are a different kind of weapon, and one that is quickly proliferating.

Drones in the Field

Drones in the Field

By:

From kamikaze killers to stealth stalkers, OpenCanada runs through the ways drones are being used in the field today.