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Terminator Planet: The First History of Drone Warfare, 2001-2050 — the inaugural publishing venture by Dispatch Books — is finally available.

With Terminator Planet, military analysts Nick Turse and Tom Engelhardt have carefully put together their best work on the subject of American robotic warfare, shaped and edited it, and then added a powerful new conclusion. The result is the first comprehensive history of drone warfare to (with a preview of the drone’s possible future as well).

From the opening missile salvo in the skies over Afghanistan in 2001 to a secret strike in the Philippines early this year, or a future in which drones dogfight off the coast of Africa, Terminator Planet takes you to the front lines of combat, Washington war rooms, and beyond. Drawing on several years of research — including official documents, open-source intelligence, and interviews with military officers, we offer up a sobering, factual account of robot warfare combined with critical analyses you’re likely to find nowhere else.

Packed with rarely seen Pentagon photos, Terminator Planet provides a rich history of the last decade of drone warfare, a clear-eyed look at its present, and a far-reaching guide to its future. You used to have to watch science fiction movies to imagine where that future was headed, now you can read Terminator Planet — and know.

Download it as an ebook or purchase an old-fashioned hard copy.

The recent losses of the Pentagon’s drones — the Sentinel in Iran, the Reaper in the Seychelles, and the Predator in Kandahar — offer a window into a future in which the global skies will be filled with drones that may prove far less wondrous than Americans have been led to believe.  The United States could turn out to be relying on a fleet of robots with wings of clay.  

From TomDispatch.com this morning, my latest article — “The Drone That Fell From the Sky” — which examines why America’s “wonder weapon” is unlikely be a game changer in 2012 or after. 

Investigation Finds U.S. Military Drones Have Flown Close to 3 Million Hours

Data provided to AlterNet by the military services reveals massive use of drones, most of their time spent in combat.

America’s Secret Empire of Drone Bases: Its Full Extent Revealed for the First Time | Nick Turse | AlterNet

A ground-breaking investigation examines the most secret aspect of America’s shadowy drone wars and maps out a world of hidden bases dotting the globe.

Drones Set to Invade U.S. National Parks

Richard Wheeler over at Wired.com’s Danger Room writes:

“And drones aren’t just buzzing over the Adirondacks. The proposal to begin training missions there is part of a bigger push to build a drone infrastructure for flying missions throughout the United States. So new drone bases are being built. The FAA is setting aside airspace for drone flights. And you can even get an accredited college degree in robo-plane repair or operations.”

Increased U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan killing few high-value militants

CIA drone attacks in Pakistan killed at least 581 militants last year, according to independent estimates. The number of those militants noteworthy enough to appear on a U.S. list of most-wanted terrorists: two.

Credit: A Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeffrey S. Viano, U.S. Navy.

Boston Review — Joseph Nevins: Robocop

“With the help of the federal government, military-style unmanned aerial vehicles are finding their way into local police forces.”

“Is this the future of domestic surveillance?” asks a Boston Review article that shouldn’t be missed.

Inside the Killing Machine - Newsweek

In a not-to-be-missed new Newsweek piece, Tara Mckelvey recounts sitting at a Washington restaurant with John A. Rizzo who, as the CIA’s acting general counsel, signed off on the Agency’s targeted assassinations.  She writes:

“Then he pointed a finger at my forehead and pretended to pull a trigger. ‘The Predator is the weapon of choice, but it could also be someone putting a bullet in your head.’”

Click the pic to read a powerful piece of reporting that, for the first time, reveals “the formal process of determining who should be hunted down and ‘blown to bits,’ as Rizzo puts it.”