Increasing reluctance of Western governments to deploy their own troops in warfare has led to a growing trend towards more remotely operated uses of armed force. This type of ‘light footprint warfare’ appeals to governments who are wary of the political risks of direct engagement of large troop numbers. Instead, states may choose to deploy much smaller numbers of military personal to provide training, air support, or intelligence to local and regional forces who do the bulk of the frontline fighting.
Losing Sight of the Human Cost: Casualty recording and remote control warfare was commissioned by the Remote Control Project of Oxford Research Group. It explores the specific practical and policy challenges remote warfare poses to casualty recording, and how these might be met through the strengthening of both state and independent practice.
