This report examines current and emerging trends in non-State armed groups' (NSAGs) use of uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) in Africa, and assesses the implications for national and regional security and stability. It provides an overview of African NSAGs' use of UASs over recent years, analysing the most prevalent types of UAS operations by these groups, as well as their most common targets and impacts. It then identifies and assesses some of the enabling factors and salient trends influencing how African NSAGs currently deploy or could deploy these systems in the future.
The analysis in the report is based on a data set of incidents of UAS use by NSAGs in Africa in the period January 2018–June 2023.
Citation: Bárbara Morais Figueiredo (2024). “The Use of Uncrewed Aerial Systems by Non-State Armed Groups: Exploring Trends in Africa”, UNIDIR, Geneva.