7 Seconds to Die

A military study of the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan—the first war in history won primarily by unmanned systems.

Fought over the course of forty-four days, the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war resulted in a decisive military victory for Azerbaijan. Armenia lost even though they controlled the high ground in a mountainous region that favored traditional defense. In 7 Seconds to Die, military consultant and historian John Antal examines the decisive factors of the war and their implications for the future of armed conflict.


The fact that Azerbaijan won the war is not extraordinary, considering the correlation of forces arrayed against Armenia. What is exceptional is that this was the first modern war primarily decided by unmanned weapons. The Turkish-made BAYRAKTAR TB2 Unmanned Air Combat Vehicle (UCAV) and the Israeli-made HAROP Loitering Munition (LM) dominated the fighting and provided Azerbaijan with a war-winning advantage.