James Patton Rogers examines how technological innovation shapes war and power. He is Lecturer in Security and Technology within the Department of War Studies at King's College London and Principal Investigator of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation-funded Crossroads of War project ($1.5m), which seeks to track and counter the proliferation of autonomous weapons to violent non-state actors.

Research:

James is the author and editor of four books, including Precision: A History of American Warfare (Manchester University Press, 2023), Drones: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press w/ S.Kreps, 2025), and Rethinking Remote Warfare: AI, Drones, & Future War (Palgrave, w/ J.W.Hutto, 2026). His latest book, War Path: The Rise of Drones and Autonomous Weapons, is under contract with Bonnier (2028). His research has appeared in leading journals, including International Affairs, Contemporary Security Policy, and the European Journal of International Security.

Policy:

Alongside his academic research, James advises governments and international organisations on emerging technologies and international security. His work with the United Nations Security Council has contributed to international efforts to prevent the proliferation of advanced drones and robotics to violent non-state actors, including the Delhi Declaration (2022) and Abu Dhabi Principles (2024). Between 2026 and 2028, this work will continue under Crossroads of War, with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, Conflict Armament Research, Cornell, and Syracuse, focused on autonomous weapons.

Engagement:

James is a TEDx speaker and regularly writes for The Washington Post, TIME, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. His work has informed investigations by The New York Times, NPR, CBS's 60 Minutes, and the BBC. He has also appeared as a commentator or presenter for CNN, Netflix, PBS, and the History Channel. Between 2020 and 2024, he hosted the History Hit Warfare podcast, which ran for more than 400 episodes and reached over 12.7m listens in over 180 countries. 

James is open to PhD supervision in the following topics: technology, war and international relations.

Recent Publications:

Books:

Rethinking Remote Warfare: AI, Drones, and Future War (Palgrave, 2026, Eds. w/ Hutto, JW). 

Drones: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2025 w/ Kreps, S). 

The DeGruyter Handbook of Drone Warfare (DeGruyter/Brill, 2024, Eds).

Precision: A History of American Warfare (Manchester University Press, 2023).

Research Articles:

Theorising the role of small drones in the Russia-Ukraine war, Contemporary Security Policy (Accepted for publication, 2026, w/ Hutto, J.W.)

Doctrine in the Third Drone Age: how NATO should adapt to full spectrum drone warfare, International Affairs, Volume 102, Issue 4, July 2026, Pages 1415–1424, w/Kunertova D, Hutto JW, and Redmond, E. 

The Drone Revolution: Towards a synthesis in the drone debate. European Journal of International Security. 2026; Volume 11, Issue 2, Pages 145-165. w/ Hutto, J.W

On War: The complexities of Christopher Coker and Nicholas Rengger, International Politics, Vol. 62, Pages 653–669 (2025), w/ Kennedy, C.

Arctic Drones: A New Security Dilemma? The Geographical Journal. Vol. 189, Issue 3, Pages. 422-437. 2023.