July 26, 2017
The Coming Drone Wars: A Headache in the Making for American Foreign Policy
In June, the United States shot down two Iranian-made armed drones used by Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. The fact that the shoot down (and the existence of the armed drones themselves) barely registered as a significant news event shows the extent to which drones are becoming a normal feature of international conflicts.
Drones are rapidly proliferating around the globe and are now in the hands of an increasing number of state and nonstate actors. The widespread availability of drones brings new challenges to international security. As more actors have access to drones, they are likely to use them in ways that challenge norms of sovereignty and change conflict dynamics. U.S. policymakers should begin thinking now about how to best prepare for these challenges and, to the extent possible, shape emerging patterns of behavior surrounding drone use.
Read the full article in The National Interest.
More from CNAS
-
Discussion with Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Heather Wilson
Video
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a discussion with Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable Dr. Heather Wilson, on strategic competition, Air Force readin...
By Jaelin Lespier
-
Why Drones Are Still the Future of War
Commentary
In a recent Foreign Affairs article, Jacquelyn Schneider and Julia Macdonald argue, based on their research interviewing U.S. ground troops, that troops prefer close air suppo...
By Paul Scharre
-
Don’t Retire Our Stealth Bombers
Commentary
When a local community government has trouble getting its books to balance or it simply desires additional tax revenue to expand local government, but it does not have support...
By Jerry Hendrix
-
The US Navy’s New Frigate Should Jumpstart a Revitalization of the Defense Industrial Base
Commentary
The United States Navy requires a frigate. Building this warship will strengthen our depleted naval fleet and reenergize a vital sector of the nation’s defense industrial base...
By Jerry Hendrix
