Maritime Matters
Drones and Counter-Warfare
20 Aug, 2018 · 5507
Dr Vijay Sakhuja comments on the use of drones by non-state actors and its impact on national military strategies
The use of drones has proliferated into many facets of human activity. These range from delivering medical aid/medicines to inaccessible areas, search and rescue during disasters, firefighting, to even the fashion industry: they were recently used in a fashion show in Saudi Arabia to carry clothes on hangers and glide down the catwalk.
In terms of the negative impact of their use, three recent drone-led attacks against civilian and military targets by non-state actors are noteworthy. These put enormous pressure on security agencies and militaries to devise counter-strategies and systems to deter and thwart the use of drones. First, President Nicol