A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone fires a missile. | AP
In the aftermath of the recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, drone warfare is being touted as the latest breakthrough in military technology, a “magic bullet” that makes armored vehicles obsolete, defeats sophisticated anti-aircraft systems, and routs entrenched infantry.
While there is some truth in the hype, one needs to be especially wary of military “game changers,” since there is always a seller at the end of the pitch. In his examination of the two major books on drones—Christian Brose’s
The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare, and Michael Boyle’s