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PROMO Chris Cole Drone Wars UK Ramstein use in Ukraine Gaza ethics autonomy Chris Cole, from Drone Wars UK, on autonomy coming in for drones. Gaza - Israel hits 100 targets a day The Next Wave: the emergence of drones at sea - In recent months maritime drones have hit the news headlines as they are increasingly deployed in conflict hot-spots around the world’s seas. The war in Ukraine, tensions in the ocean around China, and most recently armed attacks on shipping in the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea have all been characterised by the use of various types of drones – uncrewed aircraft, drone boats, unpowered marine ‘glider’ craft, and underwater vehicles. Our new study, ‘The Next Wave’, investigates the development and use of maritime drones and the likely future implications of their use in combat. While uncrewed boats have long been used in warfare – with the US Navy first using uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) for mine clearance in the 1990’s – today, maritime drones are used by an increasing number of states and non-state groups. This study reviews the reasons why, summarizes developments by the major military powers and the UK, and examines a set of case studies to identify how drones have been used during different types of conflict at sea. George Galloway, Workers Party, in the House of Commons. George Galloway on the lions of Britain’s armed forces and the donkeys in charge of them. The politicians who are stuck in the 19th century and don’t realise the empire can now strike back. Lord Cameron urged to heed calls to answer questions directly from MPs - Lord Cameron must answer questions directly from MPs about turmoil across the globe, or risk appearing to hold the elected Commons in disregard, ministers have heard. The Foreign Secretary, who sits in the House of Lords, faces regular scrutiny from peers about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and other international issues. But MPs from across the Commons have called for him to answer questions directly from them, the elected House of Parliament, rather than unelected peers. George Galloway, the MP for Rochdale, told the Commons: “War everywhere. Foreign Secretary nowhere. Nowhere at least that he can be questioned by the people in this country who are elected to question him. “That is the point. It is our duty to hold ministers to account, but by definition in this situation, we cannot.” While Mr Galloway, who represents the Workers Party of Britain, said he did not doubt Lord Cameron’s diplomatic skills, he added: “Our problem is as a country – who are forever lecturing other people on the quality of their democracy – now have an unelected head of state, an unelected Prime Minister, and an unelected Foreign Secretary, the second most important piece on the Treasury bench.” The Commons Procedure Committee has proposed several ways in which MPs could question Lord Cameron, including via a special committee. A report by the cross-party group of MPs also suggested he could be called to the bar of the House, a line beyond which only MPs are supposed to cross, to answer questions. SNP MP Patrick Grady (Glasgow North), a member of the committee, told MPs it was “particularly important” that the Foreign Secretary answered questions from the elected chamber because “we are living through times of significant global turmoil”.
