Bombing to provoke: Rockets, missiles, and drones as instruments of fear and coercion

The rapid proliferation and growing sophistication of aerospace weapons—rockets, missiles, and drones—have altered the landscape of warfare. The influence of these weapons on the battlefield is felt profoundly, yet the mechanism of provocation and coercion by which these weapons alter the will of the adversary is poorly understood. 

In his new book, “Bombing to Provoke,” Jaganath Sankaran contends that it is not what aerospace weapons physically do but what they prompt decisionmakers in target states to do in response that matters for understanding their provocative and coercive effect. Rockets, missiles, and drones weaponize fear, trigger a sense of defenselessness, and provoke an overreaction, particularly a large diversion of military effort and resources despite the inability of these weapons to meaningfully deny military capabilities. If the target state is still unable to extinguish the threat, it may be coerced to offer political concessions.   

On November 25, the Brookings Foreign Policy program hosted a discussion on how aerospace weapons influence decisionmakers in target states—not just through their physical impact, but by the emotional and strategic responses they provoke, which are key to understanding their coercive effect. 

Viewers submitted questions via email to [email protected] and on Twitter/X @BrookingsFP using #BombingtoProvoke