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Non-state armed groups in the sky: Global regulation fails to address the security risks posed by civilian drones

Attachments

The proliferation of inexpensive and user-friendly, civilian-grade drones represents an escalating security concern for states. Currently, over 65 non-state actors are known to possess drones, and the unregulated nature of drone usage suggests that this number will continue to rise unchecked.

Key findings

  • Contextual knowledge of armed non-state groups, including how they access and use drones, is key to developing an effective regulatory framework that specifically targets armed non-state groups.
  • Although state support plays a role in the proliferation of drones to non-state actors, key non-state armed groups engage in tactical and technical innovation to build in-house capacity.
  • The dual use of drone technology makes it difficult to impose export restrictions, and circuitous routes make it hard to track drones, hampering efforts to legislatively restrict the spread of drones.