How ‘drones’ are changing 21st Century warfare, aviation, and society

Dr Ian MacVicar spoke to RUSI(NS) and guests on 18 September with a presentation titled “How ‘drones’ are changing 21st Century warfare, aviation, and society” or “‘Drones’ – Detectives, Deliverers, Deceivers, Spies, and Murderers.”

Drones, a.k.a. Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Uncrewed Aerial Combat Vehicles (UACV), and Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), have grabbed headlines for their central role in the Ukraine conflict. However, the proliferation of ‘drones’ is leading to rapid profound change in the aviation industry, air traffic management and civilian logistics. Legal anticipatory governance is struggling to guide the expansion of drone employment worldwide. Dr MacVicar addressed this dynamic phenomenon in a holistic manner, offering a snapshot of military and civilian contemporary employment of drones, trends in research & development, and the legal efforts to guide employment.

The PDF of Dr MacVicar’s presentation is available here.

Queries about Dr MacVicar’s presentation or requests for him to speak to your group may be addressed here.