Armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are rapidly spreading, raising new questions about the effectiveness of existing mechanisms to track or control their transfer and heightening concerns that the features that make them attractive to militaries may also make them susceptible to misuse. This paper identifies trends in the expanding development, transfer and use of armed of UAVs to support States to consider whether there is a need for common standards or international understandings to be developed, with a view to ensuring appropriate levels of transparency, oversight and accountability for their transfer and use.

Citation: George Woodhams (2018) "Weapons of Choice? The Expanding Development, Transfer and Use of Armed UAVs", UNIDIR, Geneva.