Robots that kill. In sci-fi movies, this is a classic futuristic scenario. But as this chilling Doc Zone program reveals, robotic war is already here. The American robotic fleet, almost non-existent when the U.S. and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003, has grown to 7,000 robots in the air and 12,000 on the ground. Some 43 other countries, including Canada, also use military robots. From today’s CIA drone strikes to the next generation of armed autonomous robot swarms, warfare is being revolutionized.

Remote Control War gains entry to the Pentagon, robotic production facilities and cutting-edge research laboratories to discover the latest technology. The film also poses some serious ethical questions: What are the new rules of engagement? Will having no casualties make going to war too easy? What happens when future robots can decide on their own whom to kill?