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Eliminate all thoughts
about your life...
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and death.
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Only then, you will disregard
your earthly life totally.
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A loyal fighting man
is a pure-hearted son.
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Be empowered to focus
your attention
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on eradicating your enemy
with unwavering determination.
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When you take this walk,
be aware of your surroundings.
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This airstrip is the key
to the success or failure
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of your mission.
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You feel that you
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are suddenly floating
in the air.
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At that moment, you see
your mother's face.
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She's not smiling or crying.
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You must exert your full might
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for the last time in your life.
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The kamikaze were the first
directionable munition.
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They inspired
the kamikaze drone.
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The rise and use of drones has
created a fundamental shift
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into how contemporary combat
is being fought today.
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There's less risk of a son,
brother, or a father
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not coming home to their family.
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They fear what might come out
of the sky.
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Getting the drop on the enemy
is crucial in warfare.
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From reconnaissance
to inflicting damage,
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the side that can see
the battlefield
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controls the battlefield.
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So, in the area
of modern warfare,
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to dominate the ground,
you need to control the sky.
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Horizons have always been
really important
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for military leaders.
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From Alexander the Great
onwards, what they needed was
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a sense of perspective
over the battlefield.
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They didn't know what was
in the dip in front of them,
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over the hill to the side
or behind them.
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And that's what air power
really started
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to provide for them.
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But in terms of remotely
piloted capability,
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you're looking at Nikola Tesla
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with his remote controlled boat.
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Thereafter, we're talking
about aerial reconnaissance
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undertaken by the British
during the First World War.
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Today, that invaluable
battlefield perspective
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is largely provided by drones.
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The definition of a drone is
a system which doesn't carry
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an operator in the cockpit.
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There can be all kinds
of drones, naval drones,
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underwater, ground drones,
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most of the time
being called "robots."
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The most commonly known
type of drone
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is an unmanned aircraft.
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In military terms,
it's always been
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around the dull, dirty,
and dangerous work
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that you don't want to risk
soldiers going into.
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Aerial drones can be divided
into four basic groups.
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Kamikaze, or loitering
munitions drones.
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ISR, which stands
for intelligence, surveillance,
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and reconnaissance drones.
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Armed drones,
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and combat drones.
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The first type of modern
military drones were inspired
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by the Japanese use of kamikaze.
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Aerial bombardments were
notoriously inefficient.
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Around 1935, the UK's
Royal Air Force started to use
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the de Havilland Queen Bee,
a remote controlled drone
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that was specifically used
for target practice.
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The US Drone Program
started about a year later
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after a visit by a US Admiral,
Standley Curtiss,
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who went across to see
the Queen Bee in operation.
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He started to develop
the Curtiss N2C-2
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remote controlled drone.
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We move on to a remotely
controlled drone
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built by an actor,
Reginald Denny.
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From there, drone technology
really plateaued
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for a while until about 1973,
where we see the use of drones
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extensively during
the Yom Kippur War
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by the Israeli Defense Force.
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But these initial ones
were very expensive to make.
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This led to the development
of ISR drones,
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which could return to base.
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These vehicles
were largely used
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for surveillance and scouting.
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This is really what kickstarted
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the Israeli Defense Forces
drone program,
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Surveillance drones are drones
that carry surveillance
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equipment, photo cameras,
video cameras, and the like,
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and are used to locate targets
on the ground.
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By 1985, the US had really
started to scale up its program,
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and by 1996, the Predator
had arrived on the scene,
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The Predator is part of the
so-called "MALE" drone group.
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MALE stands for "Medium
Altitude, Long Endurance."
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It could stay in the air for
a long time and can therefore
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fly over a target for several
hours, if not longer.
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During the insurgencies
in Iraq and Afghanistan,
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we saw the increasing use
of drones as the West came
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to rely more and more
on technology to deliver
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an edge against a furtive
and deceptive adversary.
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In the CIA, we started
using the drones
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to gather intelligence
on high-value targets.
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They were game changers.
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Drones intelligence-gathering
shifted the focus of war
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away from body count and toward
precise, targeted missions.
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In Iraq, they changed
the face of warfare
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because warfare suddenly
had a face.
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During the global war
on terror, the strategy was
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to attack and find and kill
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individuals responsible
for attacks.
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A special forces team
in a helicopter,
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coming from the other horizon,
could be heard and found.
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A drone could loiter almost
silent above the battle space,
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spending hours, perhaps days,
airborne, seeking out
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the individual and eventually
targeting them with a precision
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and a lack of risk
that the West had previously
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been unable to achieve.
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In 2001, in Tora Bora,
we were hunting Bin Laden
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and his close associates.
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Late one night, we saw lights
in the bottom of the valley,
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about 1,000 meters below us,
moving around.
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And we were in a very
vulnerable position,
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and were afraid that they were
maneuvering to outflank
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and overrun us.
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We called for aerial support,
but nothing was available
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except an unarmed
Predator drone.
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We had them fly that drone down
low so that the people
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in the valley would hear it.
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They did, and it worked.
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The lights went out,
and nobody messed with us
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that night.
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I knew at that time that drones
were gonna make
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a huge difference
on the battlefield.
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But sometimes it's not enough
if you don't have
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the capability to then
strike a target you have
identified.
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In fact, there was
an incident before 9/11
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where drone operators
thought they had identified
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Osama Bin Laden on the ground,
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but the strike that was ordered
basically arrived too late.
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It was the unique challenges
presented by the war on terror
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and people hiding in villages
and in remote,
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inaccessible places that really
put the pressure on us
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to develop drones capable
of carrying munitions.
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From this requirement,
we saw the arrival
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of the Reaper drone.
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The MQ-9 Reaper.
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MQ-9 Reaper.
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And flying the new MQ-9 Reaper.
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Its payload capacity makes it
more of a hunter-killer.
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Aircraft can become
a vital weapon.
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It's changing the way we see
the combat arena.
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We're setting the bar,
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and I think we're setting it
pretty high.
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The Predator was soon modified
from a surveillance drone
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to an armed drone.
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They put two Hellfire missiles
under its wings.
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The first time they carried out
the tests, they were actually
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worried that the missile would
be too powerful for the fragile
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airframe of the Predator
and rip off its wings.
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That didn't happen.
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This then led
to the development
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of the MQ-9 Reaper drone.
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It was in 2006
when the US Air Force
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really began an effort
to absolutely control the skies.
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And once you control the skies,
then you dictate
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the tenor of battle
on the ground.
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When people think of drones,
we picture the Reaper,
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which became known to everyone
during the wars
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in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Through its success
in both war zones,
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the drone became commonplace
on the battlefield.
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The catalyst for the Reaper
drone was the sheer number
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of targets that
the global war on terror
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delivered for the military.
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How to service these was
a perfect storm requiring
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range, weapons,
surveillance,
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all in one platform.
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It can carry more armament,
more missiles.
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It can also stay in the air
for longer,
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so 27 or more hours
in the air.
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It flies higher, which means
it can evade anti-aerial systems
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more easily.
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And it has a top speed of
up to 550 kilometers per hour.
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The MQ-9 Reaper drone
has changed the face
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of how warfare is waged.
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Remotely piloted
via satellite links
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from Creech Air Force Base
in Nevada,
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teams of people
watch 24 hours a day,
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365 days a year,
ready to take out threats.
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During the war on terror,
Gary Harrington saw firsthand
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the effectiveness of
the Reaper drone.
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Our role at that time
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was to locate
the top tier of Taliban
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and Al-Qaeda that were
on the most wanted list.
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But these high value targets
weren't out in the open,
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So the time window
was real small
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in which you could
strike them.
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The Reaper drone gave us
the capability to, one,
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make sure that it was
the intended target,
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and two, that it was the right
time to strike.
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We started changing the warhead
that came on them.
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We could dial that warhead up
to take out a bunker,
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or reduce it to hit
a building or a vehicle.
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It was like being able to put
a sniper on the ground
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in places you couldn't get
a person and be able
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to leave them there
for long periods of time.
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It's the perfect weapon
for an age of perpetual warfare.
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The CIA says seven
of its employees were killed
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and six others wounded
in a suicide bombing.
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The bombing took place in
the city of Khost in a province
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that borders Pakistan
and is a Taliban stronghold.
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The Taliban claimed
responsibility for the bombing.
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This is the Shahidi attack will
be the first of the revenge
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operations against
the Americans
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and their drone team.
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The CIA released a letter
from President Barack Obama
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00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:15,359
in which he says
the victims come
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from a long line
of patriots.
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That attack was devastating,
and the US
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immediately wanted Al-Qaeda
to know that we were
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coming for them.
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Quickly, the US policy
towards terrorists became that
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of cutting the head
off the snake.
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And in late 2009, when Al-Qaeda
conducted a successful suicide
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attack against the CIA base
in Khost, killing seven
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CIA officers, it was believed
that al-Yemeni was the head
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of that particular snake.
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In late 2009, when Al-Qaeda
conducted a successful suicide
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attack against the CIA base
in Khost, killing seven
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CIA officers, it was believed
that al-Yemeni was the head.
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The CIA leadership desperately
wanted to find the perpetrators
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and planners of this act.
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They notified the ops center
that this superseded all other
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ongoing targeting operations
and it was all hands on deck.
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They wanted eyes on al-Yemeni
and his accomplices, ASAP.
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The NSA intercepted
communications from Al-Qaeda
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congratulating al-Yemini
on the success of his operation.
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That call came from the area
near a compound
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in Miran Shah, Pakistan.
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They wanted someone with
experience running operations
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in that area.
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I was actually asleep one night,
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and got a message
from the embassy
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because it had received
a NIACT message.
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NIACT stands
for "night action required."
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That indicates that
this message requires immediate
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attention or action regardless
of the time of day or night.
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Based on my years of experience
looking for Taliban
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and Al-Qaeda in the Pakistani
tribal areas,
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I was directed to report
to the Ops Center.
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As I walked into the control
center, a boss shook my hand
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and said, "We have a suspected
safe house location,
249
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:42,480
"but it's connected
to what appears to be
250
00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,720
"an apartment block.
251
00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,199
"And we're not sure
if al-Yemeni is actually in it.
252
00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:49,440
Can you take a look?"
253
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,199
The suspected location was
in the middle of the town.
254
00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,239
There were a lot of innocent
people in close vicinity,
255
00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,919
and you couldn't either
drop a bomb
256
00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:02,440
or land something
like SEAL Team Six.
257
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,200
So the decision was made
to use a Reaper drone.
258
00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,880
It took a long time to confirm
that it was al-Yemeni
259
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,120
beyond the shadow of doubt.
260
00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,039
But with the Reaper,
we were able to observe people
261
00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,320
coming in and out
of the safe house.
262
00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,679
And importantly, we could also
verify that women and children
263
00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:33,079
were coming in and out
of the adjacent building,
264
00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,919
while only men were going
in and out of the safe house.
265
00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:40,400
We also regularly saw armed men
on the rooftop
266
00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:41,960
of the suspected location.
267
00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:48,799
The problem was, how could
we find if al-Yemeni himself
268
00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:50,360
was inside the compound?
269
00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,760
This is where the Reaper's
increased sensors
270
00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:00,160
came into play.
271
00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,600
It was cold weather,
and we could see individuals
272
00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:06,320
as bright, glowing dots.
273
00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,959
It was a two-story building
with multiple rooms,
274
00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,800
but one of the upstairs rooms
had a heater in it,
275
00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:16,720
that we could see on infrared.
276
00:17:20,360 --> 00:17:22,840
One of the glowing dots
did not go out much,
277
00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,720
was alone more often,
and slept alone.
278
00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:30,080
By watching the dots for a long
period of time, we could tell
279
00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:33,080
that there was deference
to one that the others seemed
280
00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:35,160
to come to and leave from.
281
00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,320
We determined that
that must be the leader.
282
00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:45,000
When we felt comfortable
that we had identified al-Yemeni
283
00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:48,479
in this compound, we then
watched and waited until we got
284
00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:53,400
a group gathered because we knew
we were only gonna get one shot.
285
00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,839
And if he and the other
planners were not taken out,
286
00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,320
they would go into hiding,
and we may never find them.
287
00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,120
The command kill chain
was notified.
288
00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,560
They quickly stood up
and asked, "How can we take
289
00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,439
"this shot without injuring
the civilians that are
290
00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:11,880
on the other side of the wall?"
291
00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:17,959
The decision was made to try
to attack with the drones
292
00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,160
through the roof
instead of a wall.
293
00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:24,400
This prevented more lateral
penetration of the shrapnel.
294
00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,000
Due to the Reaper's
capabilities, we could
295
00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:32,640
with confidence say, "Yes,
it's time to take the shot."
296
00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:49,279
Several missiles were fired,
and all the people that were
297
00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,280
in the room with al-Yemeni
at the time were killed...
298
00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,400
...but no innocent civilians
were harmed.
299
00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,720
We have taken
away their infrastructure.
300
00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:06,799
So we are chipping away
at Al-Qaeda.
301
00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,080
We're making progress
in our major goal,
302
00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,760
our central goal
in Pakistan and Afghanistan,
303
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:13,639
and that is disrupting
and dismantling,
304
00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:15,879
and we are gonna ultimately
defeat Al-Qaeda.
305
00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,360
The strike on al-Yemeni was
an important moment
306
00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:20,639
in the history of drone warfare.
307
00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,279
It was in the late 2000s
that everybody started talking
308
00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:24,560
about targeted killings.
309
00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:27,679
Basically strikes outside
official battle spaces
310
00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:30,400
and in countries such as
Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
311
00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,200
In December 2009,
312
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,840
drones were used to take out
Saleh al-Somali,
313
00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:40,800
who was Al-Qaeda's
external operations chief.
314
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,839
Drones were used to take out
Al-Qaeda's number three
315
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:47,200
and number eight.
316
00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:50,879
The Reaper was a great tool
on the battlefield.
317
00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:54,879
It also helped in the political
realm because you did not have
318
00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,960
to send people in harm's way
or in hostile territory
319
00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:00,600
to take out a target.
320
00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,680
People in the region knew that
drones were flying overhead,
321
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,080
but they were flying so high
that most of the time
322
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,199
they couldn't hear or see them.
323
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,559
That had a big
psychological impact.
324
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,360
They were fearing
the sky at any time.
325
00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:20,360
We've struck several terrorist
training camps,
326
00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:21,480
most of the airfields.
327
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:23,919
We believe we are now able
to carry out strikes
328
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:25,439
more or less around the clock.
329
00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,600
The strike against
the Taliban and Al-Qaeda,
330
00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,439
this is a very
deliberate attack.
331
00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:31,559
The degree of destruction
varies depending on what
332
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,000
the desired effect is.
We're inflicting severe blows.
333
00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,800
I can report to the American
people and to the world,
334
00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,720
the United States has conducted
an operation that killed
335
00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:46,039
Osama bin Laden,
336
00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,840
leader of Al-Qaeda and
a terrorist who's responsible
337
00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,280
for the murder of thousands
of innocent men,
338
00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:53,880
women, and children.
339
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,119
The killing of Osama bin Laden
will lead to revenge attacks.
340
00:20:57,120 --> 00:20:59,400
The remaining leaders
of the network will seek
341
00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:00,919
to commemorate
bin Laden's death
342
00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:02,879
by pulling off attacks
in his honor.
343
00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,079
We are gonna ultimately
defeat Al-Qaeda.
344
00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:12,800
This idea of decapitation
captured Western leaders'
345
00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,680
imaginations, whether
political or military.
346
00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,840
And yet its use
in military terms,
347
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:20,920
in campaigns
over the last 25 years,
348
00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,280
whether against ISIS
or the Taliban
349
00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,639
or destroying Russian military
headquarters and their generals
350
00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:31,239
in Ukraine, it hasn't
been enormously successful.
351
00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,719
This decapitation strategy
relies on a military
352
00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,800
that is commanded
from a single supreme commander,
353
00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,719
one individual who runs
everything else.
354
00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,199
But the reality is that Al-Qaeda
was not following
355
00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,640
some rigid military structure
with one head.
356
00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,240
It wasn't like a snake.
It was more like a hydra,
357
00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:56,639
that had multiple heads,
and every time you cut one off,
358
00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,000
two more would grow
in its place.
359
00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,080
The Pentagon says all it took
for insurgents in Iraq
360
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,199
and Afghanistan to hack
into video feeds
361
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,839
from US Predator drones
was a $26 piece of software.
362
00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,600
The first case of American
troops killed
363
00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:19,160
by a missile strike
from a US drone.
364
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:21,640
Frightened villages
being mistaken for the enemy.
365
00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,760
Last night, the United States
carried out an airstrike.
366
00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:26,559
General Milley called it
a righteous strike.
367
00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,880
And admits that drone strike
was a tragic mistake.
368
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,319
General McKenzie now says
that strike was a mistake.
369
00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,840
This strike was taken
in the earnest belief that it
370
00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:38,040
would prevent an imminent
threat, but it was a mistake.
371
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:39,839
And I offer my sincere apology.
372
00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:41,360
It is a hard fact
that US Strikes
373
00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,480
have resulted
in civilian casualties.
374
00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,439
For me and those
in my chain of command,
375
00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,200
those deaths will haunt us
as long as we live.
376
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:53,839
There were several incidents
377
00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,240
where civilians were killed.
378
00:22:56,360 --> 00:22:58,960
One particularly shocking case
was in the last year
379
00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:00,800
of the US presence
in Afghanistan.
380
00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,080
The MQ-9 operators were
following an individual
381
00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,759
for more than eight hours,
suspecting that he was
382
00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:12,520
a member of ISIS-K.
383
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:25,960
After the strike,
they determined
384
00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,400
that the suspect
was actually the employee
385
00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,160
of a US-based company.
386
00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,600
And that strike cost the lives
of ten innocent people,
387
00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:38,160
seven of whom were children.
388
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:02,119
What was needed was a more
precise weapon, something that
389
00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:05,359
would respond to the political
and military demands
390
00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:07,440
of campaigns as they evolved.
391
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,519
On Saturday, the United States
successfully concluded
392
00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:12,999
an airstrike and killed
the Emir of Al-Qaeda,
393
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:14,440
al-Zawahiri.
394
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,080
After a 21-year manhunt,
the breakthrough came in Kabul.
395
00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,679
US Intelligence agencies
had tracked al-Zawahiri
396
00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:21,960
to a safe house downtown.
397
00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:23,479
Significant blow to Al-Qaeda
398
00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,560
and its global network
of affiliates.
399
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,200
He is getting the same justice
from our maker
400
00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:29,920
that bin Laden got.
401
00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:34,079
At 6:18 AM Sunday morning,
he ventured onto the terrace,
402
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,559
and a CIA drone fired
two Hellfire missiles
403
00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,359
at the building.
404
00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:42,599
The Americans say no civilians
were killed in the strike,
405
00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,119
which used blades,
not warheads,
406
00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:47,600
to slice rather than blow up
the target.
407
00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,040
The Reaper carrying RX-9
modified Hellfire missiles
408
00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,039
was used in the targeted strike
on al-Zawahiri.
409
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:57,799
This missile doesn't detonate,
but instead,
410
00:24:57,800 --> 00:24:59,680
blades open just before impact,
411
00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:01,400
slicing through the target.
412
00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:02,520
These are so accurate,
413
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:03,920
they have flown
through windows,
414
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,519
eliminated targets,
and left little other damage
415
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:07,960
to the room or vehicle.
416
00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,679
Drones were, for decades,
an exclusively
417
00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:14,200
military technology.
418
00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,800
But then, in the 2010s,
civilian drones,
419
00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,480
commercially used drones,
really took off.
420
00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:25,520
In 2006, the Federal Aviation
authority allowed drones to be
421
00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,399
used for the first time
in the US homeland.
422
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,160
This was largely
due to requirements
423
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:31,720
in Hurricane Katrina.
424
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:35,719
Hurricane Katrina is closing in
on the Louisiana coast now.
425
00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:39,279
Where we saw Predator drones
being used for the first time
426
00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,360
to search for survivors
and look at damage to provide
427
00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,720
to US Authorities about what was
happening on the ground.
428
00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,480
And within four years,
we had surveillance drones
429
00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:53,719
controlled by smartphones,
the ability to stream video
430
00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:57,040
in real time
down to individual phones
431
00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:58,920
owned by individual people.
432
00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,480
The drone technology has
evolved significantly,
433
00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,079
where there are so many uses
beyond just the battlefield.
434
00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,639
Whether you're talking
about last mile logistics
435
00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,519
and delivery for Amazon
or for UPS,
436
00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,759
or you're talking about
some cutting-edge cinematography
437
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,279
in the movie industry
438
00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:20,360
or to do remote surveillance
of crops or oil pipelines.
439
00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,759
You're seeing an explosion
of opportunities for drones
440
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:26,200
to be used
in the commercial space.
441
00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:29,640
There are drones
going over the prison
442
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:31,599
and dropping drugs
into the prison.
443
00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,280
A loot carried by two drones
over prison.
444
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,479
The number of banned items
dropped into London prisons
445
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:38,320
has doubled.
446
00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,560
Harsher sentences
to deter criminals
447
00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,000
from this escalating crime.
448
00:26:43,120 --> 00:26:44,519
Well, that's
the downside of technology.
449
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,279
In the wrong hands,
it can be used for wrong deeds.
450
00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:50,400
You're starting to see cartels
use drones to smuggle drugs
451
00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:51,959
across the border
or into prisons.
452
00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,399
You're starting to see
criminals use drones to case
453
00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,119
a potential target.
454
00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:59,399
Civilian drones are now
returning to the battlefield.
455
00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,999
Non state actors,
in particular, such as ISIS
456
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,320
in Iraq and Syria, have been
using drones for surveillance
457
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,680
and reconnaissance,
and then started to booby trap
458
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,960
their drones to attack
enemy soldiers.
459
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:16,239
The sheer number of small
drones that meet the individual
460
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,320
soldiers can be targeted
in a way
461
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,360
that they have
never been before.
462
00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,560
It has changed how war
has had to be fought.
463
00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,359
Drones have become ubiquitous
on the battlefield,
464
00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:28,759
playing a major role
in global hot zones
465
00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:30,519
like Syria and Ukraine,
466
00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,200
and also in territorial wars
467
00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:34,760
such as between
Azerbaijan and Armenia.
468
00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,239
And on the front lines, it is
a mix of old school trench
469
00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:42,999
warfare and modern
drone technology,
470
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,360
the ultimate reconnaissance
and targeting tool,
471
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,280
especially in
mountainous terrain.
472
00:27:50,360 --> 00:27:52,800
Even in Nagorno-Karabakh,
we had a demonstration
473
00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,800
of how soldiers have become
reliant, if not dependent,
474
00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:57,640
on aerial coverage
for surveillance.
475
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,240
For almost two decades,
both sides were at a stalemate
476
00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:05,040
with the Armenians
basically holding ground
477
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:07,639
in a very mountainous region
called Nagorno-Karabakh.
478
00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,240
The Armenians had been
strongly supported
479
00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:14,639
by advanced Russian artillery
and anti-aircraft systems.
480
00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:18,479
What happened, though,
is the Azeris took basically
481
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:22,119
commercially modified drones,
mounted them with ordinances,
482
00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:25,679
both cameras, but also explosive
devices, were able to identify
483
00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,159
these positions and for really
next to nothing
484
00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,040
from a financial spend
standpoint, able to neutralize
485
00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,720
a significant amount
of advanced Russian hardware.
486
00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:43,959
But the use and availability
of drones
487
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:45,720
doesn't guarantee success.
488
00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:56,120
In the second battle of Susa,
the defenders relied enormously
489
00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:57,119
on their drone coverage
490
00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:58,879
for surveillance and warning.
491
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,400
And yet, when the weather
closed in, when visibility
492
00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:05,800
was down, the attackers were
able to use this, exploit it,
493
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:07,480
and overcome their adversaries.
494
00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,840
The ubiquitous nature of drones
in the battlefield
495
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:14,240
had made the defenders lazy.
496
00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:17,240
Local commanders and soldiers
had become reliant on drones.
497
00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:25,320
The biggest development
in the area of drones
498
00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:26,759
in the last decade
499
00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,839
is the rise
of the commercial drone.
500
00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,639
And their main advantage is
that they are expendable
501
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,399
because they are so cheap.
They don't need to come back.
502
00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:38,039
And so we come back to this idea
of a kamikaze system,
503
00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,320
and indeed we call them
kamikaze drones,
504
00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:42,560
because they're one way drones
that we send out,
505
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,160
attack a target,
and explode with it.
506
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:51,680
We've seen a real evolution
in terms
507
00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:52,999
of how drones have been used.
508
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:54,119
Modified commercial drones.
509
00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:55,800
And drones play
a key role in this.
510
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:57,239
Widescale Russian drone attack.
511
00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:58,720
Drones were intercepted.
512
00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,399
One of the Ukrainian responses
to the Russian invasion in 2022
513
00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,280
has been to broadcast
an enormous number of attacks
514
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,479
and responses on TikTok
and social media.
515
00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,800
This idea that we are
normalizing attacks
516
00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,360
on individual troops,
on battlefield footage
517
00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:19,359
using drones,
attacks on platforms,
518
00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,159
means that the use of drones
519
00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:23,600
is becoming normalized
not just for soldiers,
520
00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:24,880
but across societies.
521
00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,919
During the initial invasion
of Ukraine, you had billions
522
00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,799
of dollars of Russian armaments
pouring into the country
523
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:34,959
and driving towards Kiev.
524
00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:36,520
All the analysts
basically thought
525
00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:37,960
that within a matter of days,
Kiev would fall.
526
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:41,879
Well, in reality, what you saw
is a handful of Ukrainian
527
00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:46,479
special operations soldiers
on ATVs with modified consumer
528
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:48,239
available drones with explosive.
529
00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:50,000
For a couple million dollars
530
00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,079
worth of training and equipment
and manpower were able
531
00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:56,679
to massively nullify, if not
eradicate, a billion dollar
532
00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:58,880
armament or convoy
that was approaching Kiev.
533
00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:03,519
The Ukrainian invasion has,
in some sense, seen the Russians
534
00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:05,959
waging a traditional war
of entrenched warfare,
535
00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,639
with the Ukrainians simply
flying drones overhead
536
00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:10,439
and dropping grenades
into those trenches,
537
00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:12,000
causing tremendous
amounts of damage.
538
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,000
On today's battlefields,
the idea that every drone
539
00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:21,920
gets through is a fallacy.
540
00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,400
In Ukraine, they've been known
to fly ten drones,
541
00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,160
and only one gets through.
542
00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,800
But those nine drones
that you've flown previously
543
00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:32,000
each require an expensive
missile to take them down.
544
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:39,399
Your adversary is bleeding cash
as he takes down your drones
545
00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:41,120
while you still have
the tenth one
546
00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,240
to get through
and kill him.
547
00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,599
If you flood the battle space
with maximum resources,
548
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,919
you can basically overrun
your enemy both economically
549
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:52,760
but also in terms
of sheer numbers.
550
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:59,160
There is a development
towards combat drones,
551
00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:01,519
so drones that are able
to engage other drones
552
00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,600
or indeed manned aircraft
on future battlefields.
553
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:08,640
We will most likely have drones
that are able to autonomously
554
00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:10,880
defend themselves,
even against other drones.
555
00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:14,880
As these new drones develop,
556
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,559
so will the strategy
for using them.
557
00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:27,760
The term "drone swarm"
doesn't just describe
558
00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,239
a lot of drones flying together.
559
00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:33,879
Drone swarms means that you
have several units--
560
00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:36,119
it can be dozens,
it can be hundreds,
561
00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:37,959
that operate together so that
562
00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,319
they are able to communicate
with each other and fly largely
563
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:45,080
autonomously and are
relatively intelligent.
564
00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:48,680
They can carry out
different types of missions.
565
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,520
They can overwhelm
enemy air defenses.
566
00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,680
Right now,
we aren't quite there yet.
567
00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:56,480
We see a lot of drones
on the battlefield,
568
00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,640
but they aren't necessarily
working together.
569
00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,319
The reason why there's so much
interest in drone swarms
570
00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,640
is that it gives you
new military capabilities.
571
00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:13,399
You can imagine flying
minefields that basically
572
00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,240
interdict the territory
to the enemy.
573
00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:18,599
You can imagine
waves of attacks,
574
00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:23,120
where the first wave of drones
is carrying out one attack,
575
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:24,999
and then another wave arrives.
576
00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,199
And you can also overwhelm
enemy air defenses.
577
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,439
So drone swarms really give
you military capabilities
578
00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:32,520
you didn't have before.
579
00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:38,039
The idea of drone swarms is
forcing the military to adopt
580
00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:41,279
new tactics to try
to defeat them.
581
00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:43,800
For example,
do you go and attack
582
00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,399
the communications center
on the drone?
583
00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:49,200
Or do you try to interrupt
the communications
584
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:50,999
between the drones?
585
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:52,840
Or do you attack
the drone itself?
586
00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:57,599
Is there a way that we can come
up with something that attacks
587
00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,760
all three systems
at the same time?
588
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,639
I mean, it's not as if drone
swarms cannot be defeated.
589
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:05,800
They can.
590
00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:10,439
Precision airstrikes to destroy
two ISIL training camps.
591
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:12,959
A battle that's been going on
for days now...
592
00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,840
The airstrikes killed more
than 80 ISIL fighters.
593
00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:19,559
Smoke rising from another hit.
594
00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:23,480
In Libya, between 2020 and 2022,
the use of counter drone
595
00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,640
technologies in an evolutionary
spiral of attrition,
596
00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:28,160
measure, and countermeasure,
597
00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,239
but swarms can't just
be intercepted.
598
00:34:32,240 --> 00:34:34,080
They might be controlled.
599
00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:38,119
You could use a electromagnetic
pulse, an EMP, that would
600
00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:41,439
knock out the controlling
resistors and microchips
601
00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:44,960
inside each of the drones and
make them fall out of the sky.
602
00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:47,719
On the other hand,
you could hijack
603
00:34:47,720 --> 00:34:49,560
or take control,
potentially,
604
00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:51,719
of the drones
and even the swarm,
605
00:34:51,720 --> 00:34:53,680
turning them against
the attacker themselves.
606
00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:58,359
The current generation
of drones
607
00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:00,440
are relatively vulnerable.
608
00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,359
They can be shut down
or jammed easily.
609
00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,560
And so right now, we're seeing
a move towards drones
610
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:11,199
that are more stealthy
or can fly higher and faster,
611
00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,320
so they can't be shut down
and fought too easily.
612
00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,119
Many of these susceptibilities
of drones and swarms come
613
00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:22,400
because of the requirement
to have a human in the loop.
614
00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:25,399
Remove that, give the drones
and the swarms autonomy,
615
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:29,000
and A truly autonomous system of
drones and swarms
616
00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:30,880
may arrive sooner than we think.
617
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,999
Artificial intelligence...
618
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:35,640
Artificial intelligence
has enormous potential.
619
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,159
I am optimistic
about the future of AI.
620
00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:42,239
I think that AI is going
to unlock a huge amount
621
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:43,679
of positive things.
622
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:46,879
Alongside the benefits,
AI will also bring dangers
623
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,119
like powerful autonomous weapons
624
00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:51,519
or new ways for the few
to oppress the many.
625
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:54,159
The potential to revolutionize
many aspects of our life
626
00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:55,919
in ways never before possible.
627
00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:57,879
The rise of
powerful AI will be
628
00:35:57,880 --> 00:35:59,600
either the best
or the worst thing
629
00:35:59,720 --> 00:36:01,560
ever to happen to humanity.
630
00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,959
Autonomous drones may be
where we're heading,
631
00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,320
as military
intelligence embraces
632
00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:11,680
artificial intelligence.
633
00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,479
One of the things we're seeing
right now is the explosion
634
00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,479
of artificial intelligence,
or "AI," on the battlefield.
635
00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,160
Artificial intelligence
is gonna be a significant
636
00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,519
force multiplier that's gonna
allow for more complex
637
00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,479
and more advanced drone systems,
whether it's for commercial use
638
00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:28,719
or for more conventional
military use
639
00:36:28,720 --> 00:36:29,800
on the battlefield.
640
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:34,199
One of the problems
in modern warfare is time,
641
00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:36,000
the speed at which
things are happening.
642
00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:38,639
Do we have time for a human
to be in the loop
643
00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:39,839
to make a decision?
644
00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:42,120
Would it be more militarily
effective to have
645
00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:44,039
a human outside the loop?
646
00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:47,480
Where does this evolution
in drone technology end?
647
00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:57,120
There is no good definition
of the difference
648
00:36:57,240 --> 00:37:00,799
between autonomy
and automation.
649
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:03,479
A lot of military systems
already do many
650
00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:05,320
things automatically.
651
00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,479
That's not just the case
for drones, which may be able
652
00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,600
to take off or hover
automatically, but this is also
653
00:37:12,720 --> 00:37:15,680
the case for other military
systems such as the F-35.
654
00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:19,200
As drones become
more sophisticated,
655
00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:21,280
they also become
more autonomous.
656
00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:23,040
And this isn't just something
we're thinking about
657
00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:24,160
for the future.
658
00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:29,520
The Israeli Harpy 2
is sophisticated enough
659
00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:31,280
to be launched
against one target
660
00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:36,800
to detect another higher
priority target in flight
661
00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:39,839
and redirect itself
without human intervention
662
00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:42,160
to destroy
the higher priority target.
663
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,040
Some people might
call these systems
664
00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,599
"Lethal Autonomous
Weapon Systems," LAWS.
665
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,639
There's a big discussion
at the United Nations in Geneva
666
00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:58,680
happening at the moment on LAWS
and whether they should be
667
00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:01,280
banned or whether other
regulations should be found
668
00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,960
to make sure that there aren't
being used fully autonomously
669
00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:06,080
on a battlefield.
670
00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:14,959
We're getting to the point
that machine learning is rapidly
671
00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:19,279
replacing human decision-making
on the battlefield.
672
00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,200
It can react much more quickly,
but there are three
673
00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:26,880
major concerns regarding lethal
autonomous weapons systems.
674
00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:28,720
First is technological.
675
00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:31,239
Second is ethical and moral.
676
00:38:31,240 --> 00:38:32,680
And third is security.
677
00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:40,279
First, there are
technological issues.
678
00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:43,920
Question being, do they work
as well as advertised?
679
00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:45,920
Are they too vulnerable
to sabotage?
680
00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,960
Can you even tell
if they're being sabotaged?
681
00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,000
We actually need to make sure
that we're hardening
682
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:53,159
those systems
from a cybersecurity standpoint.
683
00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,840
Last thing you wanna do is go
into battle with a complex
684
00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:57,880
system of autonomous devices
that are supposed
685
00:38:58,000 --> 00:38:59,159
to help you win the battle.
686
00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:01,039
But if your adversary can
actually hack them,
687
00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:03,640
disable them, or use them back
against you, that's obviously
688
00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:04,920
something that we want
to try to avoid.
689
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:11,079
The second basket is ethical
and moral concerns.
690
00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,639
Should a machine and artificial
intelligence be allowed
691
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,920
to decide over life and death
of another human being?
692
00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:21,239
So one of the things you're
starting to see now is less
693
00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:23,600
of a reliance on a human being
on the battlefield.
694
00:39:23,720 --> 00:39:25,879
That means less exposure
for a son
695
00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:27,400
or a father or a mother
696
00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:29,080
being on the battlefield
and for them to come home.
697
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:35,320
But as with any automated
system, there's always room
698
00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:36,640
for misinterpretation.
699
00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,680
Was that an adult male
carrying a weapon
700
00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:43,840
or was it actually
a farmer carrying a tool?
701
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:48,119
Was that a group
of terrorists gathering
702
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:51,360
or was it a number of people
attending a funeral?
703
00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:55,959
The counterargument is,
if the drone has the ability
704
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:58,519
to take a shot right there
and kill the target,
705
00:39:58,520 --> 00:39:59,879
what does it do?
706
00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:02,280
Machines only learn
what we tell them,
707
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:04,000
and war is ruthless.
708
00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:08,520
The last type of concern
surrounding lethal autonomous
709
00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:11,239
weapon systems
is security policy.
710
00:40:11,240 --> 00:40:14,479
The procurement of lethal
autonomous weapon systems
711
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:18,960
by states may lead to an arms
race where countries feel forced
712
00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:22,320
to acquire and then use
autonomous weapon systems
713
00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:25,839
because the opponent
does that as well.
714
00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,759
And also, there's a danger
of flash wars, where
715
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,919
one autonomous system reacts
to another autonomous system,
716
00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:34,479
and we may end up
in a military confrontation
717
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:36,200
that no one actually wanted.
718
00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:40,240
Once we remove humans
from the fighting,
719
00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:44,199
we change the moral impetus
and impediments for war.
720
00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:46,440
The world will become
more violent.
721
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,839
We'll see more wars,
more casualties,
722
00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:54,840
more civilian deaths,
and more collateral damage.
723
00:40:56,760 --> 00:40:59,000
The arrival of AI
on the battlefield has only
724
00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,439
really been discussed
for about the last five years.
725
00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:03,519
Much of the current
contemporary thinking
726
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:05,359
in the West, certainly
727
00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:07,159
at government
and military levels,
728
00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:11,400
is there will always be
a human in or on the loop
729
00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:13,000
of any weapon system.
730
00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,680
There will always be
a human pulling the trigger.
731
00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,760
The advancements of technology
are massive, but they're also
732
00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:31,079
putting more and more power
in the hands
733
00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,039
of less and less people.
734
00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:34,759
Is that a good thing
or is that a bad thing?
735
00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:37,640
It is imperative for us
to maintain a true,
736
00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:38,919
uh...
737
00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:41,199
kind of a moral compass and
a true north, and making sure
738
00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,080
that we have good,
strong ethical and moral values
739
00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:45,200
in our decision-making.