Drones Kill Without Human Control

Autonomous drones are now working as battlefield killers without human control. Theses military-grade drones can fly to a specific location, pick their own targets and kill without the assistance of a remote human operator.  Such weapons were known to be in development, but there were no reported cases of autonomous drones killing fighters on the battlefield. 

The Turkish built drone, a Kargu-2 quadcopter (pictured) was used in March 2020 during a conflict between Libyan government forces and a breakaway military faction led by Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army were deployed last year during an engagement between rival factions in the Libyan civil war and seem to have deliberately crashed into targets without being ordered to by a human, according to a report prepared for the United Nations.

The Kargu-2 is fitted with an explosive charge and the drone can be directed at a target in a kamikaze attack, detonating on impact.

The UN reports  describes how Haftar’s were “hunted down” as they retreated by Kargu-2 drones that were operating in a “highly effective” autonomous mode that required no human controller. “The lethal autonomous weapons systems were programmed to attack targets without requiring data connectivity between the operator and the munition: in effect, a true ‘fire, forget and find’ capability,” the report says.

There is no record of how many casualties the drone have inflicted, but “The unmanned combat aerial vehicles and the small drone intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability of HAF were neutralized by electronic jamming from the Koral electronic warfare system”. A spokesman at the US National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism said this  could be the first time that drones have autonomously attacked humans. 

This development is cause for serious concern, given that AI systems can not always interpret visual data correctly. These events have renewed a debate among experts that goes to the heart of our problems confronting the rise of autonomous robots in war.

Business Insider:     NPR:      Unilad:     The Verge:   WIO News:     Daily Star:      United Nations:    The Defense Post:

Image: Ukranian Army

You Might Also Read: 

Killer Robots For Export:

 

 

 

« A Quick Guide To Business Cyber Security
US Legislators Take Aim At Big Tech Companies »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Practice Labs

Practice Labs

Practice Labs is an IT competency hub, where live-lab environments give access to real equipment for hands-on practice of essential cybersecurity skills.

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

Syxsense

Syxsense

Syxsense brings together endpoint management and security for greater efficiency and collaboration between IT management and security teams.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine

As the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, ManageEngine prioritizes flexible solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Our Supplier Directory lists 7,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

Davis Wright Tremaine (DWT)

Davis Wright Tremaine (DWT)

Davis Wright Tremaine is a full-service law firm with offices throughout the US and in Shanghai, China. Practice areas include Technology, Privacy & Security.

WizNucleus

WizNucleus

WizNucleus develops, markets and supports a software platform (Cyberwiz-Pro) that enables Critical Infrastructure enterprises to ensure the future state of their cybersecurity and remain compliant.

AVL Mobile Security

AVL Mobile Security

AVL Mobile Security is a market-leading mobile security company for anti-virus and threat intelligence in the mobile Internet.

Sqreen

Sqreen

Sqreen is a web application security monitoring and protection solution helping companies protect their apps and users from attacks.

Exein

Exein

Exein are on a mission to build the world’s first ecosystem for firmware security so that all different types of firmware are secure around the world.

UKAS

UKAS

UKAS is the national accreditation body for the UK. The directory of members provides details of organisations offering certification services for ISO 27001.

e360

e360

e360 (formerly Entisys360) is an award-winning IT consultancy specializing in advanced IT infrastructure, virtualization, security, automation and cloud first solutions.

Stanley Reid & Company (SRC)

Stanley Reid & Company (SRC)

Stanley Reid & Co is an Executive and Technical Search Firm serving the commercial market and the US Intelligence & Defense community. Our areas of expertise include Cybersecurity.

Center for Medical Device Cybersecurity (CMDC) - University of Minnesota

Center for Medical Device Cybersecurity (CMDC) - University of Minnesota

CMDC’s mission is to foster university-industry-government partnerships to assure that medical devices are safe and secure from cybersecurity threats.

Guidepost Solutions

Guidepost Solutions

Guidepost Solutions are a diverse, global team of investigators, experienced security and technology consultants, and compliance and monitoring experts.

MailChannels

MailChannels

MailChannels protects companies against malicious email threats. Used by 750+ hosting providers around the world.

Cyberani Solutions

Cyberani Solutions

Cyberani Solutions was created to fulfill the cybersecurity needs of industry and government in Saudi Arabia, and across the Middle East and North Africa regions.

Levio

Levio

Levio is a digital native business and technology consulting firm. As a true partner from start to finish, our goal is a long-lasting transformation that’s right for your business model.

FastPassCorp

FastPassCorp

In the world of IT, identity theft is a growing concern. FastPass offers an innovative solution as a cloud or on-premises offering.

Loccus AI

Loccus AI

Loccus are developers of AI solutions in the voice safety space. We build identity verification solutions, deepfake detection systems and fraud protection products for companies and end-users.

BlackSignal Technologies

BlackSignal Technologies

BlackSignal Technologies provides cybersecurity, digital signal processing and electronic warfare products to help DOD and IC agency customers counter near-peer threats and security challenges.