At the United Nations in Geneva, as in capitals around the globe, governments are hotly debating the legal, ethical and philosophical implications of lethal autonomous weapons systems – the so-called ‘killer robots’ – and proliferation risks associated with sensitive dual-use technologies.

But below the threshold of kinetic activity, armed forces have already begun incorporating these exact kinds of technologies behind the scenes to the benefit of the logistical ‘tail’. An evolution in military logistics is brewing, driven largely by the three A’s of 21st-century innovation: automation and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing.

…Zoe Stanley-Lockman is an Associate Research Fellow with the Maritime Security Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.