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IT SOUNDS like every general’s dream: technology that allows a nation to fight a war with little or no loss of life on its side. It is also a peace-seeking citizen’s nightmare. Without the politically embarrassing threat of soldiers returning home in flag-wrapped coffins, governments would find it far easier to commit to military action. The consequences for countries on the receiving end – and for world peace – would be immense.

This is not a fantasy scenario. Over the coming years, the world’s most powerful military machine, the US Department of Defense, aims to replace a large proportion of its armed…

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