The Use Of Military Drones: The Impact On Land Forces And Legal Implications
Military drones have come to revolutionise warfare. They are roving on land, streaking through the skies, and diving under the seas. Since their creation, more than fifty years ago, drones have constantly evolved to the present, becoming one of the main artificial intelligence (AI) weapons, integrated into military forces throughout the world. Whilst drones exist in all domains; aerial drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - UAVs) are clearly the media superstars. However, a whole ecosystem of ground-based drones or Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) is evolving at an equally fervid pace. This study will focus on UGVs (within the concept of “drone” hereafter), their implementation in land forces in tandem with UAVs and will discuss the legal issues they present within the European Union (EU) legal framework.