Battlefield Perspectives on the Laws of War

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the US military's experience with the laws of armed conflict. It describes the practical application of these laws to the battlefield and shows how that application has developed over the last 20-30 years. It describes issues facing soldiers, airmen and drone operators and the lawyers that advise them on the modern battlefield. It illustrates how the laws of armed conflict have been successfully injected into the decision making of soldiers and airmen while also providing examples of situations in which the law failed to prevent harm to civilians.

Keywords: laws of armed conflict, IHL, drones, proportionality