U.S. may lose robotics edge.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: WASHINGTON PULSE: NEWS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY

* Unmanned weapons systems--in the form of surveillance drones and bomb-detonating robots--have been hailed as revolutionary technologies that have helped U.S. forces gain an edge in recent wars. But the United States may soon see that advantage evaporate as robotics technology becomes widely available, says military scholar P.W. Singer in a book tided, "Wired for War."

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A version of Newton's laws of physics applies to war, he says. "For every revolution in military technology there is an equal and opposite reaction." When it comes to unmanned technologies, the bounce-back may be even quicker than previous examples in history, says Singer. "Robots are not like aircraft carriers, spacecraft or atomic energy, which require a massive...