International Drone Policy

Our researchers are tackling the challenges posed by military and civilian uses of unmanned or remotely piloted aerial systems.

Transforming drone policy

The recent events at Gatwick and Heathrow Airports show how vulnerable airport infrastructure is from the fast-evolving and disruptive technology of unmanned drones. This vulnerability carries with it risk of accident and injury, or even loss of life.

Research conducted by Professor David H. Dunn and his team has revealed the need for increased regulation, registration and insurance and the need for a suite of detection and drone countermeasures to protect both critical national infrastructure and crowded places.

Professor Dunn and his team have undertaken research on the nefarious and criminal use of drones over the last five years and have most recently been funded by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung. Their recommendations on the threats of drones have come from research and interviews with expert practitioners across the government and commercial sectors. David and his team have shared their recommendations with Government Select Committees and key policy makers.

Watch Professor David H. Dunn give oral evidence on the commercial and recreational drone use in the UK at the Science and Technology Committee in July 2019 [parliamentlive.tv]

About us

Our research draws on expertise from International Relations, Security Studies and War Studies to address issues relating to military and civilian drones. The ICCS have led a number of key projects on the use and impact of drones, including a Birmingham Policy Commission, which considered the challenges and opportunities of drone technologies for the UK, both in a military and civilian context, and a ESRC- funded project on the political effects of unmanned aerial vehicles, which addressed the impact of drones on conflict and cooperation between states and on domestic peace processes.