War machines: the rise and rise of autonomous systems and drones (SE6 EP2)

Welcome to Season 6 of Warrior Nation!

In this series we will look at the future shape of warfare and the terrain over which it will be fought. From drones and AI, through to hardening borders and space warfare, from the outcomes of the Gaza war to the boomerang effects of colonial technologies of oppression, we’ll draft in experts, activists and artists from numerous fields of expertise to try and establish what militarism and war will look like and, most importantly, how we as anti-militarists can disrupt its effects. 

We'll pay particular attention to the new US order, its rivals, the implications for a second Trump-era foreign policy and changes in the post-war settlement and its institutions. 

Autonomous military and security are developing rapidly. AI seems to be penetrating every area of our lives. Drones are by now well-established weapon system deployed by state and non-state actors alike. But how did we get here? And where are we going? Warrior Nation spoke to two leading experts on these cutting edge technologies.

Chris Cole is the founder of Drone Wars UK and the author of a number of reports on the use of armed drones.  He has submitted evidence to various Parliamentary Committees on the use of drones, including the Defence Select Committee, the Joint Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Arms Export Controls and is regularly invited to speak to conferences, public meetings and the media on drones, targeted killing and remote warfare. 

Elizabeth Minor is an Advisor at Article 36, a UK-based NGO focused on reducing harm from weapons, where she primarily covers nuclear weapons and autonomous weapons issues. She sits on the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) for Article 36.

This episode was recorded in July 2025.

The Warrior Nation podcast is a deep dive into military affairs and the relationship between defence, the armed forces and civil society in modern Britain, produced and edited by ForcesWatch.

The show is presented Joe Glenton from ForcesWatch and writer. Joe's most recent book is Veteranhood.

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Music by Esion Noise.

Recorded at the studios of Dan Webster Music.