
What Explains The Current Us Arsenal Of Unmanned Systems? Why, For Example, Is The Contemporary Arsenal Dominated By Aerial Unmanned Systems Versus The Munitions That Dominated Earlier Developments? This Book Challenges Traditional Explanations For The Proliferation Of Unmanned Systems Which Focus On Capacity Or Structure. Instead, This Book Argues That Beliefs And Identities Shape The Structures And Capacities We Choose When We Are Investing In Weapon Systems. In Particular, It Traces Beliefs About Technological Determinism And Military Revolutions, Force Protection And Casualty Aversion, And Service Identities To Explain Why The Us Has Invested So Heavily In Remote Controlled Unmanned Aerial Platforms Over The Last Three Decades. In Doing So, The Book Illustrates How Ideas Become Influence And Ultimately Manifest In Budget Lines, Detailing The Policy Entrepreneurs, Critical Junctures, And Path Dependencies That Shape The Lifecycle Of Beliefs About Unmanned Weapon Systems. The Book Begins By Providing A Historical Overview Of Us Unmanned Systems Investments, Taking An Expansive View Of Unmanned Technologies From Land Mines To Missiles And Drones From The Revolutionary War To Contemporary Investments. It Then Leans On Theories Of Norms, Ideas, And Influence To Detail The Role Of The Office Of Net Assessment, Vietnam, 9/11, And Armed Service Identity In Building The Us' Current Unmanned Arsenal. Finally, It Concludes With What This Case Of Unmanned Technologies Reveals About Us Support To Ukraine As Well As Contemporary Weapons Debates About Cyber, Information Technology, Space, And Hypersonic Missiles-- Provided By Publisher.
This book investigates why the United States military has prioritized specific unmanned aerial systems over other potential munitions by examining the influence of institutional beliefs and identities rather than mere technological capacity. Authors Julia Macdonald and Jacquelyn Schneider utilize a framework rooted in political science and security studies to argue that organizational norms, service identities, and prevailing ideas about technological determinism drive weapon procurement. By analyzing historical investment patterns and policy decision-making, the authors demonstrate how abstract concepts translate into concrete budget allocations and long-term defense strategies.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts in defense policy and international relations identify this work as a significant contribution to the study of military innovation and organizational behavior. Readers frequently note the academic rigor of the prose and the authors' ability to synthesize complex political theory with historical military data.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2025-01-01
Publisher:
New York, NY : Oxford University Press,
ISBN-10:
0190064412
ISBN-13:
9780190064419
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