Drone – “entry into a new, risky technology” – Süddeutsche.de

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The Bundeswehr is to be equipped with combat drones, calls on the Defence Minister. But some experts fear that such machines will decide in the future even on the use of military force. This needs to already countermeasures, says the green security expert Agnieszka Brugger.

from Markus C. Schulte of Drach

Does the Bundeswehr combat drones? Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) says yes, just like the soldiers and some defense experts. But there are also experts who see the technology too great a risk. Among them is Agnieszka Brugger, spokeswoman for security policy and disarmament, and chairwoman of the Defence Committee of the Alliance 90/The Greens parliamentary group

SZ.de. Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen wants the Bundeswehr with equip drones that can be armed. They are against it. Why

Agnieszka Brugger: So far, Mrs von der Leyen has remained the security policy justification for the acquisition guilty. For which inserts Germany needs for now combat drones? So far, only the mission in Afghanistan was always cited as a scenario. The is coming to an end. The Minister would have to say clearly that they can imagine such a foreign assignment in principle again in the immediate future.

soldiers demand combat drones to protect them. Is not that understandable

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The argument is not so easy to wipe off the table. The protection of servicemen and women is indeed important. But this is a highly controversial rightly weapon system, which marks the entry into a new, risky technology.

What are the dangers?

Modern UAV systems have already in some areas autonomously functioning components. Your computer cost as of huge amounts of image material that people already can not understand her every move in real time. Drones take about today based on certain characteristics of people on the recordings themselves the target selection. So it may come to attacks on unidentified people who only behave suspiciously, called Signature Strikes .

When the final decision rests with the people, where is the contrast with the use of a combat aircraft?

There are among experts fear that will almost inevitably take place a development into fully autonomous systems here. Drones could not select only the goal but also decide on the use of military force then. This is not a pure science fiction scenario. It’s about a rapid development that threatens us in the coming years and we need to counteract already.

Mrs von der Leyen wants Parliament can decide whether the drones are to be armed. So then, the Bundestag would control such operations.

I do not know how this would work. She tries here seem to hide behind the Bundestag. The course concludes the mandates of Bundeswehr missions abroad. But the concrete tasks of such an insert dictate the Minister and the federal government. Parliament has not the opportunity to vote, to request edits or on certain questions in general. That’s why I was very surprised this announcement.

Von der Leyen used for combat drones ” The starting point of the protection of our soldiers “

The Bundeswehr is to obtain armed drones by the will of the Minister of Defence. This should be allowed to be used but only with the consent of Parliament.

(Video: Reuters )