Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) are “a special class of weapon systems that use sensor suites and computer algorithms to independently identify a target and employ an onboard weapon system to engage and destroy the target without manual human control of the system.”[1] Mines are arguably the first primitive autonomous weaponry, upon deployment, mines function autonomously, making them a type of armament that does not necessitate direct human supervision during the operational period. Landmines and naval mines have been designed to activate autonomously, as they get triggered by external pressure, contact, or proximity, and explode without third-party intervention. Later, a “Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Their Destruction” came into effect on March 1, 1999, following advocacy from organizations such as the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the International Committee of the Red Cross, aimed at preventing the suffering and casualties inflicted by anti-personnel mines.[2] LAWS are usually categorized by operational environment and military functioning. These categories are indicative with regards to the deployment in multi-domain warfare, air, land, and marine.
