US armed UAV precedent will hinder global rules-making
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Subject
Post-Obama armed UAV policy.
Significance
As President Barack Obama prepares to leave office in January 2017, his administration has called for the United States to lead development of a set of international norms to govern the use of armed UAVs ('unmanned aerial vehicles' or 'drones'). The international proliferation and military use of armed UAVs by nations outside the circle of trusted US allies have highlighted the urgency of formulating clearly articulated international rules to govern an otherwise vaguely defined arena of international behaviour dominated by US precedent.
Impacts
- Congressional aversion to supporting ground interventions abroad will enable the next president further to delay UAV policy reform.
- A wide range of countries frustrated with restrictions from Washington may turn to China as a key supplier of armed UAVs.
- Failed US efforts to reform the covert drone programme may complicate intelligence-sharing with European allies.
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