Michael J. Boyle responds to Michael C. Horowitz, Sarah E. Kreps, and Matthew Fuhrmann's fall 2016 article, "Separating Fact from Fiction in the Debate over Drone Proliferation."

Claims that drones will soon remake warfare or international politics are unwarranted. Although almost a dozen states now possess armed drones, and more are racing to acquire them, they will not play a decisive role in interstate conflicts. Drones will rarely be “winning weapons,” because they are vulnerable to air defenses. States will, however, continue to use drones against terrorists and domestic opponents.

Ron Hassner responds to Michael Horowitz's fall 2009 International Security article, "Long Time Going: Religion and the Duration of Crusading."

Religious beliefs can act as a genuine motivator in war or they can serve as a proxy for materialist objectives. An analysis of the Crusades reveals that religion was a driving force behind the wars and helps to explain why, despite spectacular failures and rising costs, Crusading lasted much longer than it should have. The evidence suggests that policymakers ought to consider how, in certain instances, religious beliefs can influence when actors go to war, how they fight, and when and how wars end.

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"In this article, the authors investigate the relationship between states' political leaders' ages, their regime type, and the likelihood of militarized dispute initiation and escalation."

This essay appeared in a roundtable review and discussion of Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle by Stephen Biddle (Princeton University Press, 2004).