Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

And you thought I was kidding the other day about Google becoming the nation’s largest defense contractor?

The other day I mentioned the thought that Google one day might be the nation’s largest defense contractor. Well, that may happen sooner than I thought. Google just bought a military robotics company. I could see them easily getting into the UCAV [that is, "unmanned combat aerial vehicle"] business. Can you imagine a competition for ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Wikimedia
Wikimedia
Wikimedia

The other day I mentioned the thought that Google one day might be the nation's largest defense contractor.

The other day I mentioned the thought that Google one day might be the nation’s largest defense contractor.

Well, that may happen sooner than I thought. Google just bought a military robotics company. I could see them easily getting into the UCAV [that is, "unmanned combat aerial vehicle"] business. Can you imagine a competition for that contract between Northrup Grumman and Google?

In the unmanned acronym department, I think we eventually will move to a distinction between autonomous drones and controlled ones — UADs vs UCDs? At some point, a thinking UAD will consciously make a decision to sacrifice itself for the greater good.

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

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