Impact event on transparency and accountability in military operations
Commentary
The event focused on local voices, expanded accountability, and increased transparency in military operations to prevent civilian harm.
Unsteady Commitments: Google and the military AI
Commentary
A reflection on Google’s volatile policy on the development of military-related AI and what it tells us about the hope for Silicon Valley’s self-regulation.
The Rise of the Turkish ‘Bayraktar’ Drone
Commentary
Author Stephen Witt writes an engaging account on the history of the Turkish Bayraktar drone and its exceeding capabilities compared to its rival’s drone systems
Reflections on the Realities of Algorithmic Defence Symposium
Commentary
IRW looks back on an illuminating Realities of Algorithmic Warfare Symposium.
Reflections on the new Dutch civilian harm transparency policy
Commentary
IRW and partners reflect on the recent policy changes they helped shape
Dutch House of Representatives to vote on use of armed drones
Commentary
One day after the Dutch armed forces made the first test-flight with a brand new MQ-9 Reaper, the Dutch House of Representatives will vote on a resolution to allow for its armament. IRW argues a more thorough debate is required.
Autonomy in the kill-chain: More than semantics?
Commentary
This article examines a 2020 incident in Libya, of which the UN reported the use of a lethal autonomous weapon. It provides insight into what is meant by autonomy in weapon systems and its ramifications for war and its victims, both current and future.
Why US troops leaving Afghanistan does not mark the end of war
Commentary
Researchers Aoife Keogh (MA) and Dr. Lauren Gould reflect on the recent developments in Afghanistan.
Voices from Hawija: Listening six years later
Commentary
Today marks 6 years exactly since the Dutch airstrike on Hawija. Researchers at IRW Isa Zoetbrood and Guusje Bloemen together with Ali Maleki, research consultant at PAX for peace, introduce our joint ongoing research with local partner Al-Ghad that investigates the civilian harm effects of the airstrike.
The Intimacies of Soldier-Robot Relations
Commentary
Guest authors dr. Marijn Hoijtink and Marlene Tröstl reflect on the sharp contrast between human empathy for military robots and the dehumanization of local publics that underpins remote warfare.