Birmingham Policy Commission: The Security Impact of Drones
Political/Policy questions
- What role do you see RPASs playing in counterterrorism for the UK, allies or others?
- Now that the era of large-scale interventionary campaigns of contested state building seems to be ending with the withdrawal from Afghanistan, how do you see UK or allied counterinsurgency doctrine developing and how important will RPASs be in it?
- For the UK, how important is the BAE’S supersonic and stealth Taranis likely to be for future national air power and aerospace industrial policy? What additional or alternative collaborative European or transatlantic RPAS procurement options might be possible or desirable?
- Whatever the actual differences between manned airpower and RPASs do you think there are special symbolic, psychological and political consequences among various international audiences from operational employment of RPASs in different scenarios and theatres? If there are, how can those consequences be assessed and how should their strategic impact be taken into account in decisions on how and when to use RPASs?
- Do you see any additional need for Ministerial approvals for RPAS use over and above what would apply to other air systems and what measures should be in place to ensure accountability for use, especially as smaller and increasingly tactically indispensable RPASs might cascade down to unit level?
- How do you see policy regarding inter-operability with allies, such as MAJIIC2 (Multi-intelligence All-source Joint ISR Interoperability Coalition), developing over the coming decade?
- Since it is possible that organisations like the UN will have their own unmanned combat aerial vehicles, what additional legislation and policy do you think will be required to ensure that inter-state governance is commensurate with the requirements of the law applying to Armed Conflict and that officials are accountable? Would additional measures be necessary if such RPASs had only a surveillance capability?
Click here to see the full list of consultation questions
Please send any evidence that you would like to submit to Ms Lindsay Murch: l.c.murch@bham.ac.uk