Introduction : proliferation and peril -- Rise of the fighting machines : the secret history of robotic warfare -- One shot, one kill, by the thousands : the consequences of universal precision -- Lessons from battle : revolutionizing combat roles and tactics -- Shock of the new : the evolution of future robotic platforms -- The new key terrain : control of the atmospheric littoral -- Dangerous thinking : blind spots, mistrust, and the future of combat AI -- No push-button wars : robotics and the spectrum of military operations -- The tempest of disruption : impacts to strategy and the balance of power -- Belua in machina : machines, morality, and the heart of darkness -- The way forward

"Beast in the Machine offers a fascinating exploration of the future of combat. It takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through previously secret robotic combat missions from the World Wars to the War on Terror, and today's lethal battlefields in Ukraine and beyond"--