COTS and the Battlefield: The Rise of Off-the-Shelf Military Robotics: COTS-Based Drone Weapon Systems: Innovation, Risk, and Responsibility

Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) robotics have transformed industry—lowering costs, accelerating innovation, and making advanced tools accessible to anyone. But that same accessibility has opened a new frontier in modern conflict. Drones, autonomous vehicles, sensors, and AI modules built for civilian life are now being adapted for battlefield use, reshaping the way nations and non-state actors wage war.

Written by an experienced Automation, Control, and Instrumentation Professional with decades of work in robotics, automotive, and defense, this book offers a rare inside look at the rise of dual-use technology. It explains how COTS platforms evolve from simple tools to powerful weapon systems, examines the global supply chain and its vulnerabilities, and explores the ethical and legal dilemmas at the heart of this new era.

Clear, engaging, and rooted in real-world case studies, COTS-Based Weapon Systems is an essential resource for engineers, defense professionals, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the future of robotics in conflict and security.

If you want to understand the technologies driving tomorrow’s battlefields—and the moral choices we must confront today—this book is your guide.