Catherine Connolly

Israel’s Elbit Systems launches loitering munition swarm system with autonomous ‘threat classification’ capabilities

The Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems recently announced its LANIUS system, a ‘drone-based loitering munition for complex environments’, which can ‘autonomously scout and map buildings...

Seventy states join cross-regional joint statement on autonomous weapons at UN General Assembly

On the 21st October 2022, the first-ever UN General Assembly joint statement on autonomous weapons was delivered on behalf of a cross-regional group of seventy...

Loitering munitions with autonomous capability used by Russia in Ukraine

In the latest reported use case of weapons systems with autonomous capabilities, Russia attacked central Kyiv, and elsewhere in Ukraine, with loitering munitions in the...

UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on human rights and emerging technologies in the military domain

On 7 October 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the human rights implications of new and emerging technologies in the...

Six robotics companies, including Boston Dynamics, pledge not to weaponise their general purpose robots

Six robotics companies – Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics and Unitree – have pledged not to weaponise their general purpose robots...

UN Secretary-General reiterates call for action on autonomous weapons

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking at a recent Security Council meeting on the maintenance of international peace and security, described autonomous weapons as a challenge...

DARPA moving to next phase of ‘No Manning Required Ship’ programme

The United States’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced that it is moving into phase 2 of its ‘No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program’,...

Netherlands announces new position on autonomous weapons systems

Following reports from the Advisory Council on International Affairs and the Advisory Committee on Public International Law, the Netherlands recently finalised its new position on...

UK sets out its position on autonomous weapons

The UK’s Ministry of Defence released its Defence Artificial Intelligence Strategy on 15th June, 2022. The release of the Defence AI strategy was accompanied by...

Weapons systems with autonomous functions used in Ukraine

At least three different weapons systems with various autonomous functions have reportedly been used by both Russia and Ukraine in the months since Russia’s illegal...

Israel to test robotic unmanned vehicle with autonomous capabilities

The Israeli Ministry of Defense will begin testing a new robotic unmanned vehicle (M-RCV Medium Robotic Combat Vehicle), with field tests starting in 2023. The...

Multiple DARPA programmes researching algorithms for combat and war-fighting purposes

The United States’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has a number of programmes underway related to further developing artificial intelligence and algorithms for combat...