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On Killing Remotely: The Psychology of Killing with Drones Hardcover – June 8, 2021

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 111 ratings

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A "can't-miss for anyone interested in current military affairs," On Killing Remotely reveals and explores the costs—to individual soldiers and to society—of the way we wage war today (Kirkus Reviews, starred). 

"One of the best new Drones books" - BookAuthority

Throughout history society has determined specific rules of engagement between adversaries in armed conflict.  With advances in technology, from armor to in the Middle Ages to nerve gas in World War I to weapons of mass destruction in our own time, the rules have constantly evolved.  Today, when killing the enemy can seem palpably risk-free and tantamount to playing a violent video game, what constitutes warfare?  What is the effect of remote combat on individual soldiers?  And what are the unforeseen repercussions that could affect us all?
 
Lt Col Wayne Phelps, former commander of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft unit, addresses these questions and many others as he tells the story of the men and women of today's "chair force."  Exploring the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots, his book is an urgent and compelling reminder that it should always be difficult to kill another human being lest we risk losing what makes us human.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A penetrating look inside the military units operating armed drones on remote battlefields around the world…Drone warfare is seemingly ubiquitous, and Phelps delivers a clear report on how it works and how it affects the users. A can’t-miss for anyone interested in current military affairs."―Kirkus Reviews

“An essential read…We have crossed a new frontier in the age-old story of war.”―
P. W. Singer, author of Wired for War and Ghost Fleet

“The most impressive and comprehensive account of 21st-century remote air warfare…A mesmerizing read: I was gripped from the first page to the last.”―
Professor Peter Lee, author of Reaper Force

“A crucial 360° look at how remote warfare affects the crews fighting from afar.”―
Major Scott Swanson, USAF (retired)

“Phelps pulls back the curtain on the high-demand RPA force…An insightful look at a uniquely gifted community of warriors.”―
Lt. General Robert F. Hedelund, USMC

“The psychology of RPA combat is as secretive as the airframes themselves—remote, mysterious, and hard to find… This book should be required reading for all warriors.”―
Karen House, MA, MSW, LMSW, LPC

“Phelps brings a crucial voice of analytical nuance…Insightful and thought-provoking.”
 ―
Ian MacLeod, former co-chair of the International Panel on the Regulation of Autonomous Weapons

“A seminal work in understanding the toll that killing remotely takes on the people who operate and support lethal remotely piloted aircraft.”―
Major General James Poss, USAF (retired)

“An extraordinary achievement…Destined to become a classic.”―
Mitt Regan, Georgetown University Law Center

About the Author

Lt Col Kenneth Wayne Phelps (USMC, Retired) served five deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2001 and 2012. His military career coincided with the escalating use of drones as weapons, and in the two years prior to his retirement in 2018 he served as commanding officer of four Unmanned Aircraft System teams abroad to fight violent extremist organizations.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company (June 8, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316628298
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316628297
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.27 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.5 x 9.55 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 111 ratings

About the author

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Lieutenant Colonel Wayne Phelps (USMC Ret.)
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Wayne Phelps is a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel. During his military career he deployed five times, including two deployments to Afghanistan and two deployments to Iraq. He was amongst the first conventional troops on the ground in Pakistan after 9/11. He also participated in the initial invasion into Iraq in 2003 and the troop surge into Afghanistan in 2010. He commanded units at every level from Platoon to Squadron, served as an instructor at the Marine Corps’ premier aviation training squadron and a staff officer in the Pentagon.

In 2014 he was selected to become an RPA pilot and he attended the Air Force’s Undergraduate Pilot Training becoming the first Marine honor graduate. His last assignment was as the Commanding Officer of Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron Three (VMU-3) in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. As the Commanding Officer, he deployed four remotely piloted aircraft detachments to conduct counter-terrorism operations against violent extremist organizations.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
111 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the information in the book incredibly well presented and well-written. They also say it's a thoroughly researched look at Remotely Piloted.

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8 customers mention "Content"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the information in the book incredibly well presented and insightful. They also say the author does an excellent job charting the history and psychology of killing in war.

"This book is excellently well documented. It shows why there are many people who give up on this work which is crucial to national security...." Read more

"Lt. Col Phelps does an excellent job in charting the history and psychology of killing in war from ancient times until the present...." Read more

"...It is very well explained. It is also not for the faint of heart and can be hard to process. Thank you Lt. Col Phelps for your work on this." Read more

"I've never served but this book I found to be very engaging, well researched and thought out...." Read more

8 customers mention "Reading experience"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very well written and thought out.

"...but this book I found to be very engaging, well researched and thought out...." Read more

"...This book is a must read for both military professionals and anyone interested in getting past the headlines and understanding how drones have..." Read more

"...Thank you Col for such a well written story on the remote warrior!Marshall SmithAviation Unmanned Vehicle Museum" Read more

""On Killing Remotely" is a well-written and thoroughly researched look at Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) and their crews...." Read more

Doesn't hold back
5 Stars
Doesn't hold back
Having spent the past 10 years in the intelligence community as an intelligence analyst on many ops floors I can say I am no stranger to the contents in this book. I wasn't sure what I would be getting myself into while reading it. I have to say the information is incredibly well presented and does not hold back on some details. I was surprised at the numerous sources and comments that had said so many of the things I have heard myself say over the years or have heard my fellow coworkers say. It was all too familiar. I would highly recommend that anyone involved with the DGS or SOs or anything else in that territory pick this up. Even those simply wishing to gain a better understanding of what it is we do. It is very well explained. It is also not for the faint of heart and can be hard to process. Thank you Lt. Col Phelps for your work on this.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023
This book is excellently well documented. It shows why there are many people who give up on this work which is crucial to national security. The media and the public in general think the work is video game killing, and have little respect for this complicated and difficult work. They are misinformed.
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2023
Lt. Col Phelps does an excellent job in charting the history and psychology of killing in war from ancient times until the present. In essence he provides a road map showing the path from the past to the present. Once in the Present he describes the stresses and environments associated with performing a UAV kill mission. He also describes actual missions and provides quantitative data regarding the psychological impact on the RPA crews. His analysis of the conflicts within the military commands regarding the hierarchy of pilots is also addressed. RPA's(large and small) have already proven their worth on the battlefield and their use is expanding at an exponential rate. The war in Ukraine is a testament to that fact. Will the USA be able to have an adequate cadre of UAV pilots and sensor operators for future missions? Only if steps similar to those recommended in this book are taken to preclude much of the psychological impact and stress on the crews. The ball is in the court of our Senior Military Leadership.
Mel Koenig
Contract Consultant to Unmanned Systems Inc.
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2021
This book is an outstanding look into the lives of the men and women who operate the high-end unmanned aircraft that have played such a prominent role in the last twenty years of warfare. Having worked flight testing on the high-end UAVs myself for 25 years, I can vouch for much of it.

I would argue, however, that the author may have conflated two separate issues. One is the 24/7/365 shift-work nature of over-the-horizon UAV operations. Whether you are operating an armed or an unarmed UAV doesn't matter, it's a grinding, grueling schedule. As the author notes, a normal military unit goes through a distinct train-deploy-recover cycle. For a UAV crewmember, there IS no end to the deployment - just the few hours until the next shift. And give the insatiable appetite for ISR support, those hours are often too few.

The other issue is the remote strike aspect. Observe a hostile for hours, even days. Get the order to kill, carry it out...then go home and mow the lawn. It's like being a sniper, except that you commute to the job. And it carries a cost.

This book raises a lot of issues. High-end unmanned aviation is a very complex, highly stressful job. Throw in the added burden of strike operations, and it becomes clear that the men and women who do it deserve a lot more respect and credit than they get.
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2022
Having spent the past 10 years in the intelligence community as an intelligence analyst on many ops floors I can say I am no stranger to the contents in this book. I wasn't sure what I would be getting myself into while reading it. I have to say the information is incredibly well presented and does not hold back on some details. I was surprised at the numerous sources and comments that had said so many of the things I have heard myself say over the years or have heard my fellow coworkers say. It was all too familiar. I would highly recommend that anyone involved with the DGS or SOs or anything else in that territory pick this up. Even those simply wishing to gain a better understanding of what it is we do. It is very well explained. It is also not for the faint of heart and can be hard to process. Thank you Lt. Col Phelps for your work on this.
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't hold back
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2022
Having spent the past 10 years in the intelligence community as an intelligence analyst on many ops floors I can say I am no stranger to the contents in this book. I wasn't sure what I would be getting myself into while reading it. I have to say the information is incredibly well presented and does not hold back on some details. I was surprised at the numerous sources and comments that had said so many of the things I have heard myself say over the years or have heard my fellow coworkers say. It was all too familiar. I would highly recommend that anyone involved with the DGS or SOs or anything else in that territory pick this up. Even those simply wishing to gain a better understanding of what it is we do. It is very well explained. It is also not for the faint of heart and can be hard to process. Thank you Lt. Col Phelps for your work on this.
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One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2023
The public perspective on the use of RPAs in warfare are varied but this isn’t a subject we can easily ignore as we look at how AI and machine leaning will further affect our battlefields. Remote warfare is still in it infancy when compared to what is surely coming.
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2023
Missing a few things, but the concept holds together well without them. I have my own views on the subject, which differ from the author. But if you want to have a general view of the RPA community, this is a good one.
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2021
I've never served but this book I found to be very engaging, well researched and thought out. The book flows very well with incorporating not only what RPA crews do for training but also letting the reader catch a glimpse of the military (especially Marines) culture. Reading the stories from interviewed crew members was eye opening, especially after strikes and how that can take a psychological toll. As the book points out, there's a misconception of an RPA strike verses a strike by other means. Along with this emerging technology comes unintended consequences and the book goes in-depth into how the military is adjusting to address those. It's a great read that I would recommend for military and non military alike!
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2021
Phelps takes us inside the world of the U.S. Military’s UAS professionals, highlighting the challenges they face as well as the substantial contributions they are making every day to the security of the nation. ON KILLING REMOTELY provides the reader with first-hand accounts of combat viewed through the lens of the men and women who operate the U.S. Military’s fleet of drones on patrol 24/7, around the world. Like many great books about war, these accounts range from funny to heartbreaking, but they are all real and shed light on an area of conflict that is greatly misunderstood. This book is a must read for both military professionals and anyone interested in getting past the headlines and understanding how drones have become an indispensable element of militaries around the world.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

A. J. Reeves
5.0 out of 5 stars An honest and candid insight into the effects of drone warfare on operators and mission staff
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2022
I finished "On Killing Remotely" by Wayne Phelps just before Christmas and I have to say this is a cracking read.

Wayne has deliberately taken a scholarly and evidence-based approach, working through the many issues that face RPAS crews and mission staff with care and diligence.

A lot of his findings really hit home for me. I remember joining the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron in May 2004, as a Sensor Operator flying MQ-1 Predator. We flew armed ISR missions over Iraq and Afghanistan with peaks of intense, highly kinetic missions (Fallujah being just one).

The pressure on the crews was intense, which - when combined with the chronic and cumulative fatigue of continuous shift work / live operations for multiple years - led to serious issues with morale, decision making and behaviours. You know the Remote / Split operations model is not working when you have young airmen and women volunteering to deploy to the launch and recovery element in Iraq, just to get themselves out of the grinder. The routine response when the leadership was asked to give the Squadron a "down day" was "your brothers in Iraq can't have a day off - neither can you." Some of our crews had already been on the front line of RPAS operations for 3 years when I joined, with no end in sight.

One point I think Wayne might have made more of is the preparation of RPAS operators to deal with taking lives. Those from the "teeth arms" (infantry, marines, fast jet aviators, warfighting sailors etc) are prepared all through their training to deal out death to our enemies. The emotional response from young airmen and women from supporting career fields (imagery analysts trained as sensor operators) was much more varied. One young lady in particular really struggled with pulling the trigger, and at the time was considered by her USAF leadership as someone with a 'lack of moral fibre' (to quote a WW1 term often used). Of course, when you sign on in the military you should be prepared to fight.
I don't think you can blame some of these young people however - they joined the military in a career field never expecting to be responsible for killing other humans.

Supporting the effect? Yes. Doing it themselves? No.
The psychological and emotional effects of that level of unpreparedness ran deep, I suspect.

This a great book, and one I heartily recommend for anyone interested or engaged in RPAS operations, or indeed interested in the human condition when under pressure.
Oz
5.0 out of 5 stars RPA drivers read this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2021
This book is a must for anyone that has ever flown an RPA, or are looking to integrate them into a plan. It has plenty of read across for all types of military RPA’s, end to end fantastic read.

UK Army RPAS Instructor