Legality and Legitimacy of the Autonomous Weapon Systems

Nowadays, from the military perspective, development of autonomous weapon systems (AWS) represents opportunity especially for States to enhance their military power and change their status in the system of international relations probably with the presumptions of the new Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). Not-only the most powerful States such as the U.S., People’s Republic of China, or Russian Federation, but practically all State and non-State actors closely scrutinize this process and its implication for the future security environment. On the other hand, implementation of the AWS technologies poses many challenges (for example independence of AWS on the human control and decision-making processes), which are connected with almost completely new nature of these weapon systems and their influence on the relations across the humankind and its general character. The aim of this paper is to analyse one possible set of such challenges focusing on legal and legitimate (ethical) aspects of the AWS and their compliance with the public international law. Analyses will focus on norms of international humanitarian law and their connections with ethical perspective. This paper will provide necessary understanding of the AWS’ (non)conformity with the international norms based on the international customs and treaties relevant (and binding) for the NATO members State and their efforts to implement such technologies.