Uncrewed vessels meet laws written for crewed ships

One reason for expecting uncrewed naval systems to operate alongside crewed forces is that existing rules of the sea were written around vessels with people aboard. Custom and practice also shape maritime law. Applying these assumptions to independent uncrewed vessels creates uncertainties about their future use. Restraint between Russia and Ukraine depends, in this interpretation, on both sides believing they can still win. Germany's escalation during the First World War supplies the historical comparison for a warning about opponents abandoning earlier limits when they believe their survival is at stake.