Unmanned combat aerial vehicle

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use American English

A British MQ-9A Reaper operating over Afghanistan in 2009

An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, fighter drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that carries aircraft ordnance such as air-to-surface missiles, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), and/or aerial bombs on hardpoints or within weapons bay, allowing it to perform tactical attacks known as drone strikes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> UCAVs are used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, attacking high-value targets and prolonged loitering before needing to return to base, unlike kamikaze drones, which are single-use drones made for physically ramming into a target and exploding on impact; or surveillance drones, which are unarmed drones used only for aerial reconnaissance and gathering intelligence.

Aircraft of this type have no onboard human pilot,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but are usually under real-time remote control by human operators, with varying levels of automation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As the operator runs the vehicle from a remote terminal via radio control, equipment necessary to support an on-board human pilot is not needed, resulting in a lower weight and a smaller size than a manned aircraft for the same payload. Many countries have operational domestic UCAVs, and many more have imported fighter drones or are in the process of developing them.<ref>The number of countries that are manufacturing armed drones varies by source. See for example:

  • Template:Cite journal, listing the United States, Israel, China, Turkey, and Iran
  • Template:Cite web, listing the United States, Sweden, South Africa, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, the UK, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, North Korea, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Australia</ref>

History

Template:Main

1972: Ryan Firebee with 2 Maverick missiles

One of the earliest explorations of the concept of the combat drone was by Lee de Forest, an early inventor of radio devices, and U. A. Sanabria, a TV engineer. They presented their idea in an article in a 1940 publication of Popular Mechanics.<ref>"Robot Television Bomber" Popular Mechanics June 1940</ref> The modern military drone was the brainchild of John Stuart Foster Jr., a nuclear physicist of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.<ref name=kaplan>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1971, Foster was a model airplane hobbyist and had the idea this hobby could be applied to building weapons.<ref name=kaplan /> He drew up plans and by 1973 DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) built two prototypes called "Prairie" and "Calera". They were powered by a modified lawn-mower engine and could stay aloft for two hours while carrying a Template:Convert load.<ref name=kaplan />

In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel used unarmed U.S. Ryan Firebee target drones to spur Egypt into firing its entire arsenal of anti-aircraft missiles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This mission was accomplished with no injuries to Israeli pilots, who soon exploited the depleted Egyptian defences. In the late 1970s and 80s, Israel developed the Scout and the Pioneer, which represented a shift toward the modern lighter, glider-type model of UAV. Israel pioneered the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for real-time surveillance, electronic warfare, and decoys.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The images and radar decoying provided by these UAVs helped Israel to completely neutralize the Syrian air defenses in Operation Mole Cricket 19 at the start of the 1982 Lebanon War, resulting in no pilots downed.<ref name="WSJLevinson">Template:Cite news</ref>

During the Russo-Ukrainian war, use of Russian drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) increased about tenfold from early 2024 through summer 2025.<ref name=NYTimes_20250908>Template:Cite news</ref>

In the late 1980s, Iran deployed a drone armed with six RPG-7 rounds in the Iran–Iraq War.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Impressed by Israel's success, the US quickly acquired a number of UAVs, and its Hunter and Pioneer systems are direct derivatives of Israeli models. The first 'UAV war' was the first Persian Gulf War: according to a May 1991 Department of the Navy report: "At least one UAV was airborne at all times during Desert Storm." After the Persian Gulf War successfully demonstrated its utility, global militaries invested widely in the domestic development of combat UAVs.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Unreliable source?</ref> The first "kill" by an American UAV was on October 7, 2001, in Kandahar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Between 2004 to late 2012, the U.S. has increased its use of drone strikes against targets in Pakistan and elsewhere as part of the War on Terror. In January 2014, it was estimated that 2,400 people had died from U.S. drone strikes in five years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2015, the total death toll of U.S. drone strikes was estimated to exceed 6,000.<ref name=pilkington/>

In 2020, Turkey became the first country to use UCAVs in a large, coordinated attack on a conventional battlefield when it attacked forces in Syria. They were used to attack enemy positions, to provide cover for ground forces and to scout for artillery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Drones were used extensively in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Azerbaijan's use of cheaper Turkish TB2 drones was seen as crucial to their victory against the Armenian forces.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Drones were also used extensively during the Russo-Ukrainian war.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 2022 conflict was widely described as the first full-scale war featuring the large-scale use of small and commercial-grade UAVs in military settings. Consumer quadcopters and first-person view (FPV) drones, modified with sensors and explosives, were being used for military missions. The affordability and availability of small UAVs have shifted modern warfare and given rise to new offensive and defensive strategies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Usage of small combat drones offers a cost advantage,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and their high performance, reliability, and commercial availability for repair parts also contributed to their popularity.<ref name="nyt_202303">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="fp_2302">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

By country

China

UCAVs at 2025 China Victory Day Parade

China manufactures and exports combat drones on a large scale, and the country is the source of most commercial UAV components.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The People's Liberation Army military operates multiple types of unmanned combat aerial vehicles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ch">Template:Cite web</ref> Since 2010, Chinese drone companies have begun to export large quantities of drones to the global military market. Of the 18 countries that are known to have received military drones between 2010 and 2019, the top 12 all purchased their drones from China.<ref name="ch" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The shift accelerated in the 2020s due to China's advancement in drone technologies and manufacturing, compounded by market demand from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="wsj_drone">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chinese companies that manufactures military unmanned aerial vehicles include China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, etc.<ref name="ch"/>

China is known to be developing various "loyal wingman" UCAVs, such as AVIC Dark Sword,<ref name="afm_j20s">Template:Cite web</ref> which is a concept first revealed in 2006.<ref name="janes_image">Template:Cite web</ref> Stealth UCAV, such as Hongdu GJ-11 unmanned combat aerial vehicles, are designed to be controlled by the Chengdu J-20 fighter, forming manned-unmanned aircraft teams.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other stealth UCAVs include Feihong FH-97 UCAV developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). It was designed to suppress air defenses with electronic countermeasures, fly ahead of aircraft to provide early warning, act as an expandable decoy, as well as provide reconnaissance and damage evaluation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Feihong FH-97A, a loyal wingman drone designed to fly alongside the fighter aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August and September 2025, China unveiled multiple different types of UCAV and loyal wingmen prototype under development, and the naval variant of the Hongdu GJ-11 UCAV.<ref name="twz_250902">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These Chinese UCAV designs have different wing configerations and engine options, with some large UCAVs aimed to perform air superiority mission independently or collaboratively with manned aircraft.<ref name="av_250903">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="aw_250903">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="fg_250903">Template:Cite web</ref>

Israel

Elbit Hermes 450

Template:Main

An IAF Hermes 450 from 200 Squadron

The Israeli Air Force, which operates a squadron of Hermes 450s out of Palmachim Airbase south of Tel Aviv, has adapted the Hermes 450 for use as an assault UAV, reportedly equipping it with two Hellfire missiles or, according to various sources, two Rafael-made missiles. According to Israeli,<ref>Dror Globerman, Amit Cohen, "Most of the Assassinations Were Made By Drones", Makor Rishon, December 9th 2005</ref> Palestinian, Lebanese, and independent reports, the Israeli assault UAV has been used in the Gaza Strip and was used intensively in the Second Lebanon War. Israel has not denied this capability, but to date, its policy has been to not officially confirm it either.Template:Citation needed

Turkey

TAI Aksungur

Template:Main TAI Aksungur is a built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for the Turkish Armed Forces.<ref name="j360">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ds1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="dn1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="tai">Template:Cite web</ref> Using existing technology from the TAI Anka series of drones, it is the manufacturer's largest drone,<ref name="FlightglobalDebut">Template:Cite news</ref> with payload capacity for mission-specific equipment. It is intended to be used for long-term surveillance, signals intelligence, maritime patrol missions, or as an UCAV. The first unit was delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces on 20 October 2021.

Bayraktar Kizilelma

Template:Main

Baykar Kızılelma is a jet-engine UCAV developed for the Turkish Air Force and Turkish Navy.<ref name="Baykar MIUS Official">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bayraktar Kızılelma is a proposed jet-powered, single-engine, low-observable, supersonic, carrier-capable unmanned combat aircraft in development by Baykar, famous for its Bayraktar TB2. On 12 March 2022, Selçuk Bayraktar, CTO of Baykar announced that the first prototype of the Bayraktar Kızılelma has entered the production line.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>

TAI Anka-3

Template:Main

TAI Anka 3 is the code-name for the new single engine UCAV being developed by TAI.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It will have a flying wing form,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and will feature low-observable stealth technology. The role of the aircraft will be suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), penetration and bomber.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

United Kingdom

BAE Systems Taranis

Template:Main

Taranis is a British demonstrator program for unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) technology. It is part of the UK's Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicle (Experimental) (SUAV[E]) program. BAE describes Taranis's role in this context as following: "This £124m, four -year programme is part of the UK Government's Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicle Experiment (SUAVE) and will result in a UCAV demonstrator with fully integrated autonomous systems and low observable features."

The Taranis demonstrator will have an MTOW (Maximum Takeoff Weight) of about 8000 kilograms and be of comparable size to the BAE Hawk – making it one of the world's largest UAVs. It will be stealthy, fast, and able to deploy a range of munitions over a number of targets, as well as being capable of defending itself against manned and other unmanned enemy aircraft. The first steel was cut in September 2007 and ground testing started in early 2009. The first flight of the Taranis took place in August 2013 in Woomera, Australia.<ref>Farmer, Ben (6 February 2014) Successful test flight for Taranis stealth drone Template:Webarchive Daily Telegraph, Page 12</ref> The demonstrator will have two internal weapons bays. With the inclusion of "full autonomy" the intention is thus for this platform to be able to "think for itself" for a large part of the mission.Template:Citation needed

United States

Template:Main

J-UCAS

Template:Main

Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems, or J-UCAS, was the name for the joint U.S. Navy/U.S. Air Force unmanned combat air vehicle procurement project. J-UCAS was managed by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, the J-UCAS program was terminated.Template:Cn The program would have used stealth technologies and allowed UCAVs to be armed with precision-guided weapons such as Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) or precision miniature munitions, such as the Small-Diameter Bomb, which are used to suppress enemy air defenses. Controllers could have used real-time data sources, including satellites, to plan for and respond to changes on and around the battlefield.

A X-47B UCAV technology demonstrator

The program was later revitalized into UCAS-D, a United States Navy program designed to develop a carrier-based unmanned aircraft.<ref>"Carrier UCAVs: The Return of UCAS" Template:Webarchive, Defense Industry Daily, 7 February 2010</ref>

N-UCAS

UCAS-D and Northrop Grumman X-47B are the U.S. Navy-only successors to the J-UCAS, which was canceled in 2006. Boeing is also working on the X-45N in this sector.

In a New Year 2011 editorial titled "China's Naval Ambitions", The New York Times editorial board argued that "[t]he Pentagon must accelerate efforts to make American naval forces in Asia less vulnerable to Chinese missile threats by giving them the means to project their deterrent power from further offshore. Cutting back purchases of the Navy's DDG-1000 destroyer (with its deficient missile defense system) was a first step. A bigger one would be to reduce the Navy's reliance on short-range manned strike aircraft like the F-18 and the F-35, in favor of the carrier-launched N-UCAS ...."<ref>Editorial Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, January 1, 2011 (January 2, 2011 p. WK7 NY ed.). Retrieved 2011-01-02.</ref>

On 6 January 2011, the DOD announced that this would be one area of additional investment in the 2012 budget request.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

USAF Hunter-Killer

Template:Main

The United States Air Force has shifted its UCAV program from medium-range tactical strike aircraft to long-range strategic bombers.Template:Cn The technology of the Long Range Strike program is based on the Lockheed Martin Polecat demonstrator.

Multinational

  • EADS Surveyor: The EADS "Surveyor" is still in preliminary investigation phase. It will be a fixed-wing, jet-powered UAV and is being positioned as a replacement for the CL-289. EADS is currently working on a demonstrator, the "Carapas", modified from an Italian Mirach 100 drone. The production Surveyor would be a stealthy machine with a top speed of 850 km/h (530 mph), an endurance of up to three hours, and capable of carrying a sophisticated sensor payload, including SIGINT gear. It would also be able to carry external loads, such as air-dropped sensors or light munitions.Template:Citation needed

Non-state actors

In the mid-2010s, the Islamic State terrorist group began attaching explosives to commercially available quadcopters such as the Chinese-made DJI Phantom to bomb military targets in Iraq and Syria.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the 2016–17 battle of Mosul, the Islamic State reportedly used drones as surveillance and weapons delivery platforms, using improvised cradles to drop grenades and other explosives.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An Islamic State drone facility was notably targeted by Royal Air Force strike aircraft during the battle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Militant groups during the Syrian civil war have also reportedly used UAVs in attacks, one example being a swarm of drones armed with bombs attacking Russian bases in western Syria in early January 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Starting in the 2020s, Mexican drug cartels began dropping reportedly hundreds of drone-carried bombs targeting both security forces and enemy gangs during turf wars.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Safety and security

Counter-UAS

Template:See also There has been widespread use of drones in the Russo-Ukrainian War.<ref name="lessons-from-use-of-drones-in-the-ukraine-war">Template:Cite web</ref> Ukrainian soldiers use GPS signals to guide a drone to find Russian artillery and to guide Ukrainian artillery. Jamming these drone GPS signals cause drones to operate less effectively,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as the operators of drones have to rely on pre-programmed routes through areas of jamming until communications can be restored. Other systems supplied by the West rely on automation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Systems like the AeroVironment Switchblade can find targets autonomously, requiring human permission only to engage found targets.<ref name="lessons-from-use-of-drones-in-the-ukraine-war"/> In October 2022 a video appeared on the web showing two drones colliding and one being rendered unflyable as a result.<ref name=Newdick /> It was claimed that the filming drone was Ukrainian and the one destroyed was Russian.<ref name=Newdick /> If this is the case it would be the first recorded case of drone on drone combat.<ref name=Newdick>Template:Cite news </ref>

On 27 December 2022 North Korea sent five drones over its border with South Korea. One reaching Seoul, all five returned to the North, despite a five-hour chase involving fighter jets and attack helicopters with some 100 rounds being fired. A South Korean KAI KT-1 Woongbi crashed although both crew survived. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (South Korea) released a statement in which it said that while it can stop attack drones, its ability to stop smaller spy drones is "limited". A senior official, Kang Shin-chul, said: "Our military's lack of preparedness has caused a lot of concern to the people…actively employ detection devices to spot the enemy's drone from an early stage and aggressively deploy strike assets". The South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has indicated that South Korea will invest in stealthy drones that could penetrate North Korea, with the creation of a new military unit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The South Korean Defence Ministry announced a new series of anti-drone measures, planning to spend some 560 billion won over the next five years. The money will go towards four new initiatives. One is an airborne laser that will be used to destroy larger drones, whilst a jammer would be used on smaller drones. A new counter drone unit, made up of two squadrons, would also be created. The laser is already in the test phase and is expected to become operational in 2027. The jamming system has been described as "soft kill".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ethics and laws

Template:See also

Civilian casualties

Israel

In March 2009, The Guardian reported allegations that Israeli UAVs armed with missiles killed 48 Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, including two small children in a field and a group of women and girls in an otherwise empty street.<ref>The Guardian, 23 March 2009. "Cut to pieces: the Palestinian family drinking tea in their courtyard: Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles – the dreaded drones – caused at least 48 deaths in Gaza during the 23-day offensive." Template:Webarchive Retrieved on 3 August 2009.</ref> In June, Human Rights Watch investigated six UAV attacks that were reported to have resulted in civilian casualties and alleged that Israeli forces either failed to take all feasible precautions to verify that the targets were combatants or failed to distinguish between combatants and civilians.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

United States

Template:Main

Collateral damage of civilians still takes place with drone combat, although some (like John O. Brennan) have argued that it greatly reduces the likelihood.<ref name="Wilson Center">Template:Cite web</ref> Although drones enable advanced tactical surveillance and up-to-the-minute data, flaws can become apparent.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The U.S. drone program in Pakistan has killed several dozen civilians accidentally.<ref name="latime2">Template:Cite news</ref> An example is the operation in February 2010 near Khod, in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Over ten civilians in a three-vehicle convoy travelling from Daykundi Province were accidentally killed after a drone crew misidentified the civilians as hostile threats. A force of Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopters, who were attempting to protect ground troops fighting several kilometers away, fired AGM-114 Hellfire missiles at the vehicles.<ref name="latime1">David S. Cloud (April 10, 2011) Anatomy of an Afghan war tragedy Template:Webarchive, Los Angeles Times</ref><ref name="wapo1">Karin Brulliard (May 30, 2010) Drone operators blamed in airstrike that killed Afghan civilians in February Template:Webarchive, The Washington Post</ref>

In 2009, the Brookings Institution reported that in the US-led drone attacks in Pakistan, ten civilians died for every militant killed.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A former ambassador of Pakistan said that American UAV attacks were turning Pakistani opinion against the United States.<ref>Newsweek, 8 July 2009. Anita Kirpalani, "Drone On. Q&A: A former Pakistani diplomat says America's most useful weapon is hurting the cause in his country" Template:Webarchive Retrieved on 3 August 2009.</ref> The website PakistanBodyCount.Org reported 1,065 civilian deaths between 2004 and 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to a 2010 analysis by the New America Foundation 114 UAV-based missile strikes in northwest Pakistan from 2004 killed between 830 and 1,210 individuals, around 550 to 850 of whom were militants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2013, the Pakistani government revealed that since 2008 317 drone strikes had killed 2,160 Islamic militants and 67 civilians – far less than previous government and independent organization calculations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In July 2013, former Pentagon lawyer Jeh Johnson said, on a panel at the Aspen Institute's Security Forum, that he felt an emotional reaction upon reading Nasser al-Awlaki's account of how his 16-year-old grandson was killed by a U.S. drone.<ref>Michael Isikoff: Ex-Pentagon official has 'heavy heart' over US teen's inadvertent killing by drone Template:Webarchive</ref>

In December 2013, a U.S. drone strike in Radda, capital of Yemen's Bayda province, killed members of a wedding party.<ref>[Yemeni] Official: U.S. drone attack in Yemen kills wedding guests Template:Webarchive – AP, December 12, 2013</ref> The following February, Human Rights Watch published a 28-page report reviewing the strike and its legality, among other things. Titled "A Wedding That Became A Funeral", the report concludes that some (but not necessarily all) of the casualties were civilians, not the intended regional Al-Qaeda targets. The organization demanded US and Yemeni investigations into the attack. In its research, HRW "found no evidence that the individuals taking part in the wedding procession posed an imminent threat to life. In the absence of an armed conflict, killing them would be a violation of international human rights law."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political effects

As a new weapon, drones are having unforeseen political effects. Some scholars have argued that the extensive use of drones will undermine the popular legitimacy of local governments, which are blamed for permitting the strikes.<ref name="Smith – 5 Sept 2012">Template:Cite news</ref>

On August 6, 2020, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a bill to ban sales, transfers, and exports of large armed drones to countries outside of NATO amid concerns that civilians were killed with American-made weapons used by Saudi Arabia and the UAE during the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. Congress had previously passed a similar measure with bipartisan support, but failed to overcome President Donald Trump's veto.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Psychological effects

Template:See also Controllers can also experience psychological stress from the combat they are involved in. A few may even experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There are some reports of drone pilots struggling with post traumatic stress disorder after they have killed civilians, especially children. Unlike bomber pilots, moreover, drone operators linger long after the explosives strike and see its effects on human bodies in stark detail. The intense training that US drone operators undergo "works to dehumanise the 'enemy' people below whilst glorifying and celebrating the killing process."<ref name="Drone: Robot Imperium – Longreads">Template:Cite web</ref>

Professor Shannon E. French, the director of the Center for Ethics and Excellence at Case Western Reserve University and a former professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, wonders if the PTSD may be rooted in a suspicion that something else was at stake. According to Professor French, the author of the 2003 book The Code of the Warrior:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

If [I'm] in the field risking and taking a life, there's a sense that I'm putting skin in the game ... I'm taking a risk so it feels more honorable. Someone who kills at a distance—it can make them doubt. Am I truly honorable?

The Missile Technology Control Regime applies to UCAVs.

On 28 October 2009, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, presented a report to the Third Committee (social, humanitarian and cultural) of the General Assembly arguing that the use of unmanned combat air vehicles for targeted killings should be regarded as a breach of international law unless the United States can demonstrate appropriate precautions and accountability mechanisms are in place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2015, forty-five former US military personnel issued a joint appeal to pilots of aerial drones operating in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and elsewhere urging them to refuse to fly and indicated that their missions "profoundly violate domestic and international laws." They noted that these drone attacks also undermine principles of human rights.<ref name="pilkington">Template:Cite web</ref>

Some leaders worry about the effect drone warfare will have on soldiers' psychology. Keith Shurtleff, an army chaplain at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, worries "that as war becomes safer and easier, as soldiers are removed from the horrors of war and see the enemy not as humans but as blips on a screen, there is very real danger of losing the deterrent that such horrors provide".<ref>Cole, Jim and Chris Wright. "Drone Wars UK". January 2010. http://dronewarsuk.wordpress.com/aboutdrone/ Template:Webarchive</ref> Similar worries surfaced when "smart" bombs began to be used extensively in the First Gulf War.

Stanford's ‘Living Under Drones’ researchers, meanwhile, have shown that civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan are reluctant to help those hit by the first strikes because rescuers themselves have often been killed by follow-on drone strikes. Injured relatives in the rubble of the first strike have been known to tell their relatives not to help rescue them because of the frequency of these so-called ‘double-tap’ strikes. People also avoid gathering in groups in visible places. Many children are permanently kept indoors and often no longer attend school.<ref name="Drone: Robot Imperium – Longreads" />

Writer Mark Bowden has disputed this viewpoint, saying in his The Atlantic article, "But flying a drone, [the pilot] sees the carnage close-up, in real time—the blood and severed body parts, the arrival of emergency responders, the anguish of friends and family. Often, he’s been watching the people he kills for a long time before pulling the trigger. Drone pilots become familiar with their victims.<ref>Dave Philipps. (15 April 2022). "The unseen scars of those who kill via remote control." NY Times website Retrieved 16 April 2022.</ref> They see them in the ordinary rhythms of their lives—with their wives and friends, with their children. War by remote control turns out to be intimate and disturbing. Pilots are sometimes shaken."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

This assessment is corroborated by a sensor operator's account: Template:Blockquote

Back in the United States, a combination of "lower-class" status in the military, overwork, and psychological trauma may be taking a mental toll on drone pilots. These psychological, cultural and career issues appear to have led to a shortfall in USAF drone operators, which is seen as a "dead end job".<ref>Chatterjee, Pratap (March 2015). Is Drone Warfare Fraying at the Edges? Template:Webarchive. "Are Pilots Deserting Washington's Remote-Control War? A New Form of War May Be Producing a New Form of Mental Disturbance."</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Stand-off attacks

The "unmanned" aspect of armed UAVs has raised moral concerns about their use in combat and law enforcement contexts. Attacking humans with remote-controlled machines is even more abstract than the use of other "stand-off" weaponry, such as missiles, artillery, and aerial bombardment, possibly depersonalizing the decision to attack. By contrast, UAVs and other stand-off systems reduce casualties among the attackers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Wrongful targeting

There are only estimates of the magnitude of the errors in target selection. However, they do occur, and some of them become known.

One fatal "error" happened in December 2023, when the Nigerian army accidentally hit a village in northwestern Nigeria, killing 85 civilians celebrating a Muslim festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The army said they thought the people were rebels.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Autonomous attacks

The picture is further complicated if the UAV can initiate an attack autonomously, without direct human involvement. Such UAVs could possibly react more quickly and without bias, but would lack human sensibility.<ref name="Foust2013" /> Heather RoffTemplate:Clarify replies that lethal autonomous robots (LARs) may not be appropriate for complex conflicts and targeted populations would likely react angrily against them.<ref name="Foust2013" /> Will McCants argues that the public would be more outraged by machine failures than human error, making LARs politically implausible.<ref name="Foust2013">Template:Cite news</ref> According to Mark Gubrud, claims that drones can be hacked are overblown and misleading and moreover, drones are more likely to be hacked if they're autonomous, because otherwise the human operator would take control: "Giving weapon systems autonomous capabilities is a good way to lose control of them, either due to a programming error, unanticipated circumstances, malfunction, or hack and then not be able to regain control short of blowing them up, hopefully before they've blown up too many other things and people."<ref name="Gubrud2013">Template:Cite web</ref> Others have argued that the technological possibility of autonomy should not obscure the continuing moral responsibilities humans have at every stage.<ref name="Robillard2018">Template:Cite web</ref> There is an ongoing debate as to whether the attribution of moral responsibility can be apportioned appropriately under existing international humanitarian law, which is based on four principles: military necessity, distinction between military and civilian objects, prohibition of unnecessary suffering, and proportionality.<ref name="Kanwar2011">Template:Cite web</ref>

Public opinion

Template:Main In 2013, a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll asked registered voters whether they "approve or disapprove of the U.S. military using drones to carry out attacks abroad on people and other targets deemed a threat to the U.S.?" The results showed that three in every four voters (75%) approved of the U.S. military using drones to carry out attacks, while (13%) disapproved.<ref>Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind, (February 7, 2013). Public says it's illegal to target Americans abroad as some question CIA drone attacks Template:Webarchive (press release)</ref> A poll conducted by the Huffington Post in 2013 also showed a majority supporting targeted killings using drones, though by a smaller margin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A 2015 poll showed Republicans and men are more likely to support U.S. drone strikes, while Democrats, independents, women, young people, and minorities are less supportive.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Outside America, there is widespread opposition to US drone killings. A July 2014 report found a majority or plurality of respondents in 39 of 44 countries surveyed opposed U.S. drone strikes in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. The U.S., Kenya, and Israel were the only countries where at least half the population supported drone strikes. Venezuela was found to be the most anti-drone country, where 92% of respondents disagreed with U.S. drone strikes, followed closely by Jordan, where 90% disagreed; Israel was shown as the most pro-drone, with 65% in favor of U.S. drone strikes and 27% opposed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The drone strikes conducted by the Malian army have had devastating consequences on the civilian population in the Azawad region. In March 2024, attacks killed 13 civilians, including seven children, in Amasrakad, Gao region, sparking outrage and calls for justice from organizations like Amnesty International. These incidents highlighted the lack of transparency and accountability in drone use, exacerbating local and international tensions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>’<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

List of aircraft

Operational

Below are a list of some current dedicated armed UAV's:

A Turkish made Azerbaijani Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı over the runway
Country Manufacturer Aircraft Introduced
United States General Atomics MQ-1 Predator 1995
United States General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper 2007
United States General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle 2009
China Chengdu Aerospace CAIG Wing Loong 2011
China Chengdu Aerospace CAIG Wing Loong-10 2016
China Chengdu Aerospace CAIG Wing Loong II 2017
China Chengdu Aerospace Wing Loong-III 2022
China Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Harbin BZK-005 2006
China Hongdu Aerospace Hongdu GJ-11 2019
China Sichuan Tengden Tengden TB-001 2017
Turkey Turkish Aerospace Industries TAI Anka 2010
Turkey Baykar Defense Bayraktar TB2 2014
Turkey Turkish Aerospace Industries TAI Aksungur 2019
Turkey Baykar Defense Bayraktar Akıncı 2021
Turkey Turkish Aerospace Industries TAI Anka-3 2023
Turkey Baykar Defense Bayraktar TB3 2023
Turkey Baykar Defense Bayraktar Kızılelma 2024
Pakistan NESCOM NESCOM Burraq 2016
Pakistan GIDS GIDS Shahpar-2 2021
India DRDO DRDO Ghatak 2023
Iran Qods Aviation Qods Mohajer-6 2017
Iran Qods Aviation Qods Mohajer-10 2023
Iran HESA HESA Shahed-129 2012
Iran HESA HESA Shahed-149 Gaza 2022
Iran HESA HESA Shahed 191 Saegheh 2010
Iran IRIAF Kaman 22 2021
Russia Kronshtadt group Kronshtadt Orion 2020
Russia Sukhoi Sukhoi S-70 2024
South Africa Milkor Milkor 380 2023
Israel Elbit Systems Hermes-900 2010
Israel Elbit Systems Hermes-450 1998
Israel IAI Eitan 2007

Some reconnaissance drones that have armed capability include the CASC CH-92, IAI Eitan and the Ababil-3, Ababil-5, Hamaseh. Some commercial drones, such as DJI Mavic and Phantom, have been modified to carry light explosives for combat missions in recent wars.

In development

Below is a table of some technology demonstrators and projects in development:

The BAE Taranis model is one of the larger designs
Aircraft Country Notes
Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat Australia Made by Boeing Australia. Under flight testing/development.
AVIC Dark Sword China Technology demonstrator/testing
MD-22 China Hypersonic UCAV, Under development
FL-71 China Supersonic stealth UCAV, Under development
BAE Systems Corax United Kingdom Technology demonstrator
BAE Systems Taranis United Kingdom Technology demonstrator
Boeing Phantom Ray United States Under development/testing
Dassault nEUROn France Experimental stealth UCAV
DRDO Archer-NG India Under development
Eurodrone EU Under development
EMC Operations Anaconda United Kingdom Under development/testing
HAL CATS Warrior India Under development
Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie United States Under development/testing
Northrop Grumman X-47A United States Technology demonstrator inc. X-47B / C variants
Bayraktar Kızılelma Turkey Under development/testing
TAI Anka-3 Turkey Under development/testing
Atobá XR Brazil Under development/testing
S-70 Okhotnik-B Russia Under development/testing
IAIO Qaher-313 Iran Under development/testing
Qods Mohajer-7 Iran Under development
Qods Mohajer-9 Iran Under development
Indonesian Aerospace Elang Hitam Indonesia Under development
DRDO Ghatak

Users

Template:More citations needed section Countries with known operational armed drones: Template:Div col

See also

Template:Portal

Further reading

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Mobile robots Template:Prone to spam

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Unmanned_combat_aerial_vehicle&oldid=215788"