Drones in War: The Controversies Surrounding the United States’ Expanded Use of Drones and the European Union’s Disengagement

Abstract: The administration of President Donald Trump has embarked on a mission to redefine the guidelines for the deployment of drones, thereby altering significantly the policy set by his predecessor. Though early in Trump’s presidency, his administration has failed to establish a clear doctrine on the use of drones for military use. By creating such a doctrine, the United States (US) as a military behemoth would have the opportunity to set the terms of the debate and create the necessary international attention and cooperation on establishing universal guidelines on drone warfare. Other major powers, most notably the European Union (EU), have lagged the US on this issue. By reference to the lessons drawn from the US engagement with armed drones, this paper sheds light on key issues that will inform the debate on the international armed drone use regime. It then queries the prospects of the EU and its member states joining the efforts geared toward establishing internationally recognized armed drone use regime. Recommendations on how the US and the EU could collaborate in this domain follow.

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