Drone warfare

{{Short description|Attack by one or more unmanned combat aerial vehicles}} {{About|drones attacking targets|incidents with a drone|List of unmanned aerial vehicles-related incidents}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} [[File:SBU Alpha.jpg|thumb|Ukrainian Special Group "Alpha" operators alongside a multirotor FPV drone during the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2023]] {{War}} '''Drone warfare''' is a form of warfare that involves the deployment of military robots and unmanned systems. The unmanned systems may be remote controlled by a pilot or have varying levels of autonomy during their mission. Types of unmanned systems and platforms include unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) or weaponized commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned surface vehicles (USV) or unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV).<ref>{{Cite web |last=@bayraktar_1love |date=2024-09-19 |title=The combat work of the Ukrainian ground drone on the frontline. |url=https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1836754248920432901 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}</ref> Military applications of drones range from reconnaissance tasks, ''kamikaze'' missions, logistical support, bomb disposal, training and medical evacuation to electronic warfare, anti-air, anti-armor, and anti-personnel roles.<ref>{{cite news|work=Naval News|title=First Image Of Ukraine's Sidewinder-Armed Magura V7 Surface Drone|url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/05/first-image-of-ukraines-sidewinder-armed-magura-v7-surface-drone/|date=4 May 2025|access-date=6 May 2025}}</ref> As of 2019, the following nations have been identified as having operational UCAVs:<ref>{{cite web|date=18 December 2015|title=Milli İHA'ya yerli füze takıldı!|url=http://www.haber7.com/guncel/haber/1708923-milli-ihaya-yerli-fuze-takildi|access-date=18 November 2018|work=Haber7}}</ref> China, France, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sabak|first=Juliusz|date=18 May 2017|title=AS 2017: Warmate UAV with Ukrainian Warheads|url=https://www.defence24.com/as-2017-warmate-uav-with-ukrainian-warheads-photos|access-date=23 March 2019|work=Defence24.com|archive-date=28 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128091600/https://www.defence24.com/as-2017-warmate-uav-with-ukrainian-warheads-photos}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqRj59K9zPk|title=17 Aralık 2015—Tarihi Atış Testinden Kesitler|date=17 December 2015|author=Baykar Technologies|access-date=18 November 2018|medium=YouTube}}</ref><ref name="the_guardian">{{cite news |last=Borger |first=Julian |date=28 March 2022 |title=The drone operators who halted Russian convoy headed for Kyiv |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/28/the-drone-operators-who-halted-the-russian-armoured-vehicles-heading-for-kyiv |access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref> Drones are a force multiplier and reduce the necessity for live personnel during operations. They are primarily utilized to conduct intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions, facilitating direct attacks on targets as part of a kill chain or through manned-unmanned teaming.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thebulletin.org/drone-warfare-death-precision10766?platform=hootsuite|title=Drone warfare: The death of precision|date=2017-05-11|work=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists|access-date=2017-07-22|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011191041/http://thebulletin.org/drone-warfare-death-precision10766?platform=hootsuite|archive-date=2017-10-11|url-status=live}}</ref> Aerial drone attacks can be conducted via purpose-built UCAVs that launch ordnance during a '''drone strike''', by loitering munitions and one-way attack drones laden with a warhead that explodes on impact or by weaponized civilian UAVs modified to deploy munitions or crash into a target.<ref name="Agence France-Presse-2017">{{cite news|author=Agence France-Presse|author-link=Agence France-Presse|date=14 March 2017|title=US military deploys attack drones to South Korea|work=Defence Talk|url=http://www.defencetalk.com/us-military-deploys-attack-drones-to-south-korea-69478/|access-date=2 October 2017}}</ref> Larger drones can serve a "mothership" role by deploying sub-drones or by being equipped with electronic warfare features such as a signal repeater<ref>{{cite news|work=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2025/04/09/flying-aircraft-carriers-ukraine-refines-fpv-mothership-tactics/|date=9 April 2025|access-date=6 May 2025|title=Flying Aircraft Carriers: Ukraine Refines FPV Mothership Tactics}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ukrainian forces invent innovative method to attack Russian rear facilities — video |url=https://english.nv.ua/nation/ukrainian-forces-unleash-baba-yaga-innovation-kamikaze-drone-strikes-revealed-50369798.html |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=english.nv.ua |language=en}}</ref> while heavy-lift drones may be used to airlift supplies or evacuate wounded personnel across a battlefield.<ref>{{cite web | title=Операторы БЛА ГрВ "Восток" используют тяжелые промышленные коптеры на Южно-Донецком направлении | website=ВПК.name | date=2024-06-28 | url=https://vpk.name/news/882172_operatory_bla_grv_vostok_ispolzuyut_tyazhelye_promyshlennye_koptery_na_yuzhno-doneckom_napravlenii.html | language=ru | ref={{sfnref | ВПК.name | 2024}} | access-date=2024-06-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=Kyiv Post|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/post/39516|title=Ukrainians Deploy Heavy Vampire Drones to Transport Robot Dogs to Frontlines|date=25 September 2024|access-date=6 May 2025}}</ref> SUAVs and MAVs are man-portable UAVs and can be deployed for low-altitude, short-range support operations. Multiple drones can operate and attack simultaneously in a drone swarm<ref name="BBCthwarts">{{cite web|date=7 January 2018|title=Syria war: Russia thwarts drone attack on Khmeimim airbase|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42595184|website=BBC}}</ref> and autonomous drones, such as LAWs, utilize military AI. The early years of the 21st century saw most drone strikes being conducted by the US military using air-to-surface missiles against ground targets within countries such as Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen during the war on terror.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/america-at-war-the-countries-where-the-us-took-or-gave-fire-in-2018-2018-12|title=America at war: The countries where the US took or gave fire in 2018|work=Business Insider|access-date=23 March 2019|first=John|last=Haltiwanger|date=18 December 2018|publisher=Insider Inc.}}</ref> Drone warfare evolved and proliferated quickly in the 2010s and 2020s, with countries such as Azerbaijan,<ref name="The Economist">{{cite news|title=The Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict hints at the future of war|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/10/the-azerbaijan-armenia-conflict-hints-at-the-future-of-war|date=8 October 2020|access-date=9 October 2020|issn=0013-0613}}</ref> China, Iran, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine utilizing drones with increased ubiquity. Militant groups, such as the Islamic State and the Houthis, and organized crime groups such as Mexican cartels likewise have used drones for attacks against adversaries and for logistical purposes.

The Russo-Ukrainian war is "widely recognised as the world's first drone war"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickinson |first=Peter |date=2025-12-04 |title=Russia has learned from Ukraine and is now winning the drone war |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russia-has-learned-from-ukraine-and-is-now-winning-the-drone-war/ |access-date=2025-12-05 |website=Atlantic Council |language=en-US}}</ref> due to the large scale and high intensity of drone attacks, and the role of this experience in evolving the tactics of modern conventional warfare.<ref name="o268">{{cite book |last1=Bendett |first1=Samuel |title=The Air War in Ukraine |last2=Nersisyan |first2=Leonid |date=2024-06-05 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-003-45412-0 |publication-place=London |pages=168–194 |chapter=The drone war over Ukraine |doi=10.4324/9781003454120-8}}</ref><ref name="f993">{{cite journal |last=DeVore |first=Marc R. |date=2023-04-03 |title="No end of a lesson:" observations from the first high-intensity drone war |journal=Defense & Security Analysis |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=263–266 |doi=10.1080/14751798.2023.2178571 |issn=1475-1798 |doi-access=free|hdl=10023/27488 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name="g513">{{cite journal |last=Kunertova |first=Dominika |date=2023-03-04 |title=The war in Ukraine shows the game-changing effect of drones depends on the game |journal=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |volume=79 |issue=2 |pages=95–102 |doi=10.1080/00963402.2023.2178180 |bibcode=2023BuAtS..79b..95K |issn=0096-3402 |doi-access=free|hdl=20.500.11850/606858 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Both armies have used a multitude of UAVs, including long range fixed-wing drones and short range multirotor FPV drones.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Faulconbridge |first1=Guy |last2=Kelly |first2=Lidia |date=10 November 2024 |title=Ukraine attacks Moscow with 34 drones, biggest strike on the Russian capital |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-drone-attack-forces-closure-two-moscow-airports-2024-11-10/ |access-date=10 November 2024 |work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Shtepa |first=Vadim |date=16 October 2024 |title=Ukrainian Drone War Shakes Up Russian Society |url=https://jamestown.org/program/ukrainian-drone-war-shakes-up-russian-society/ |access-date=10 November 2024 |work=The Jamestown Foundation}}</ref> Ukraine became the first country to create a military branch exclusively dedicated to drone warfare—the Unmanned Systems Forces<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 June 2024|title=As Ukraine focuses on drone warfare, its military creates new Unmanned Systems Forces branch|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/ukraine-focuses-drone-warfare-military-creates-new-unmanned/story?id=111046806|access-date=23 August 2024|website=ABC News|language=en|archive-date=23 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823002322/https://abcnews.go.com/International/ukraine-focuses-drone-warfare-military-creates-new-unmanned/story?id=111046806|url-status=live}}</ref>—in June 2024, with Russia following soon with its own Unmanned Systems Forces in November 2025.<ref name="TASS12Nov25">{{cite news |title=Russia establishes Unmanned Systems Forces|url=https://tass.com/defense/2042371|access-date=12 November 2025|work=TASS|date=12 November 2025}}</ref> The Russo-Ukrainian war demonstrated how drones have disrupted traditional military doctrines in a manner similar to how gunpowder revolutionized warfare, making them a "decisive" factor in all future conflicts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Tom Porter, Sinéad |title=Drones are the future of warfare, like gunpowder was in the 1300s, defense minister says |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/drones-future-warfare-like-gunpowder-once-was-ukraine-russia-belgium-2025-5 |access-date=2026-04-11 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Commercial UCAVs== [[File:Soldier with commercial drones.jpg|thumb|Weaponizing of DJI Phantom commercial videography UAVs]]

A '''commercial UCAV''' is any commercially-produced UAV that is modified aftermarket to carry such weapons as guided bombs, cluster bombs, incendiary devices, air-to-surface missiles, air-to-air missiles, anti-tank guided missiles or other types of precision-guided munitions, autocannons and machine guns.<ref name="urlTurkey is getting military drones armed with machine guns | New Scientist">{{cite news|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2227168-turkey-is-getting-military-drones-armed-with-machine-guns/|title=Turkey is getting military drones armed with machine guns|first=David|last=Hambling|website=New Scientist|date=12 December 2019|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref> These weaponized civilian drones may proceed to fire munition or a missile, drop explosives and crash into or detonate above vulnerable targets.<ref name="Agence France-Presse-2017"/> Payloads could include explosives such as hand grenades, mortar shells and IEDs or other dangerous materials such as shrapnel, chemical, radiological or biological hazards. These relatively cheap drones are also used for non-attack roles. For example, multirotor FPV drones have been used extensively by both armies for aerial reconnaissance and artillery spotting in the Russo-Ukraine War.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraines-drone-spotters-on-front-lines-wage-new-kind-of-war-11659870805?mod=hp_lead_pos8|title=Ukraine's Drone Spotters on Front Lines Wage New Kind of War|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=7 August 2022}}</ref>

Anti-UAV systems are being developed by states to counter the threat posed by commercial UCAVs.<ref>{{cite web|date=4 October 2019|title=The dark side of our drone future|url=https://thebulletin.org/2019/10/the-dark-side-of-our-drone-future/|access-date=16 October 2022|website=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists|last=Rogers|first=James}}</ref> According to James Rogers, an academic who studies drone warfare, "There is a big debate out there at the moment about what the best way is to counter these small UAVs, whether they are used by hobbyists causing a bit of a nuisance or in a more sinister manner by a terrorist actor."<ref>{{cite news|last=Loeb|first=Josh|date=6 March 2017|title=Anti-drone technology to be test flown on UK base amid terror fears|magazine=Engineering and Technology|publisher=The Institution of Engineering and Technology|url=https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2017/03/anti-drone-technology-to-be-test-flown-on-uk-base-amid-terror-fears/|access-date=9 May 2017}}</ref>

==Americas== ===United States=== {{Main|Unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States military|Unmanned aerial vehicle programs of the Central Intelligence Agency|List of the United States drone bases}}

{{See also|Disposition Matrix|Special Activities Center|432nd Wing}} [[File:Predator and Hellfire.jpg|thumb|A Predator drone firing a Hellfire missile]] [[File:X-47B receiving fuel from a 707 tanker while operating in the Atlantic Test Ranges.jpg|thumb|right|X-47B was the first unmanned aircraft to be catapulted from an aircraft carrier and the first to be aerially refueled fully autonomously.]] Estimates for the total number of people killed in U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan range from 2,000 to 3,500 militants killed and 158 to 965 civilians killed.<ref name="BOIJ">{{cite news|url=https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/projects/drone-war|title=The Bureau's complete data sets on drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia|work=Bureau of Investigative Journalism|date=6 June 2015|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newamerica.org/international-security/reports/americas-counterterrorism-wars/the-drone-war-in-pakistan/|title=Drone Strikes: Pakistan|website=New America|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref> 81 insurgent leaders in Pakistan have been killed.<ref name="BOIJ"/> Drone strikes in Yemen are estimated to have killed 846–1,758 militants and 116–225 civilians.<ref name="newamerica-yemen">{{cite web|url=https://www.newamerica.org/in-depth/americas-counterterrorism-wars/us-targeted-killing-program-yemen/|title=Drone Strikes: Yemen|publisher=New America|access-date=16 October 2022|place=Washington, DC, US}}</ref><ref name="bureau-yemen">{{cite web|url=https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/projects/drone-war/yemen|title=Drone War: Yemen|access-date=16 October 2022|publisher=The Bureau of Investigative Journalism|archive-date=25 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325011247/https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/projects/drone-war/yemen|url-status=dead}}</ref> 57 Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders are confirmed to have been killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://securitydata.newamerica.net/drones/leaders-killed.html?country=Yemen|access-date=2018-04-20|title=Yemen Leaders Killed|publisher=New America|place=Washington, DC, US}}</ref>

In August 2018, ''Al Jazeera'' reported that a Saudi Arabian-led coalition combating Houthi rebels in Yemen had secured secret deals with al-Qaeda in Yemen and recruited hundreds of that group's fighters:{{nbsp}}"... Key figures in the deal-making said the United States was aware of the arrangements and held off on drone attacks against the armed group, which was created by Osama bin Laden in 1988."<ref>{{cite news|title=Report: Saudi-UAE coalition 'cut deals' with al-Qaeda in Yemen|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/08/report-saudi-uae-coalition-cut-deals-al-qaeda-yemen-180806074659521.html|work=Al-Jazeera|date=6 August 2018|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|title=US allies, Al Qaeda battle rebels in Yemen|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-allies-al-qaeda-battle-rebels-in-yemen|work=Fox News|date=7 August 2018|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Michael|first1=Maggie|last2=Wilson|first2=Trish|last3=Keath|first3=Lee|title=Allies cut deals with al Qaeda in Yemen to serve larger fight with Iran|url=https://www.sfgate.com/world/article/Allies-cut-deals-with-al-Qaeda-in-Yemen-to-serve-13135822.php|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=6 August 2018|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref>

After US president Donald Trump had increased drone strikes by over 400%,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2019/5/8/18619206/under-donald-trump-drone-strikes-far-exceed-obama-s-numbers|title=Under Donald Trump, drone strikes far exceed Obama's numbers|access-date=8 December 2021|date=8 May 2019|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=S. E. Cupp}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47480207|title=Trump revokes Obama rule on reporting drone strike deaths|work=BBC|access-date=8 December 2021|date=7 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://worldbeyondwar.org/u-s-drone-strikes-gone-432-since-trump-took-office/|title=U.S. Drone Strikes Have Gone Up 432% Since Trump Took Office|access-date=8 December 2021|author=Carey Wedler|work=World Beyond War|date=12 March 2017}}</ref> his successor Joe Biden reversed course. Under Biden, drone strikes reportedly decreased.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-strikes-fall-under-biden-monitoring-group-says-2021-12|title=US military strikes fell 54% in Biden's first year compared to Trump's last, monitoring group says|access-date=22 January 2022|date=23 December 2021|work=Business Insider|last=Davis|first=Charles}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theweek.com/foreign-policy/1007579/biden-nearly-ended-the-drone-war-and-nobody-noticed|title=Why U.S. Drone Strikes Are at an All-Time Low|access-date=8 December 2021|date=1 July 2021|author=Michael Hirsh|work=Foreign Policy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theweek.com/foreign-policy/1007579/biden-nearly-ended-the-drone-war-and-nobody-noticed|title=Biden nearly ended the drone war, and nobody noticed|access-date=8 December 2021|date=1 December 2021|author=Ryan Cooper|work=The Week}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/us/politics/biden-drones.html|title=Biden Secretly Limits Counterterrorism Drone Strikes Away From War Zones|access-date=8 December 2021|date=3 March 2021|work=The New York Times}}</ref> A Biden administration drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan in August 2021 killed 10 civilians, including seven children.<ref>{{cite news|last=Schmitt|first=Eric|title=No U.S. Troops Will Be Punished for Deadly Kabul Strike, Pentagon Chief Decides|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/13/us/politics/afghanistan-drone-strike.html|access-date=13 December 2021|work=The New York Times|date=13 December 2021}}</ref> Later, a drone strike killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Cooper|first2=Helene|last3=Barnes|first3=Julian E.|last4=Schmitt|first4=Eric|date=1 August 2022|title=Live Updates: U.S. Drone Strike in Kabul Kills Top Qaeda Leader|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/01/us/al-qaeda-leader-killed|access-date=2 August 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In 2021, the U.S. Navy's Naval Forces Central Command established Task Force 59 to further integrate armed and unarmed drones and artificial intelligence into maritime operations, particularly in the Fifth Fleet's area of operations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2022-04-21/drones-navy-bahrain-fifth-fleet-unmanned-5752654.html|work=Stars and Stripes|date=21 April 2022|access-date=27 March 2026|title=Testing the Navy’s future: Robotic ships give the US an enhanced view of Middle East waterways}}</ref><ref name=GARC>{{cite news|url=https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2026-03-27/iran-navy-drones-patrol-middle-east-21197987.html|title=US deploys drone boats in Iran conflict, report says |date=27 March 2026|work=Stars and Stripes}}</ref>

By mid-2025, reports emerged that the U.S. military was lagging behind in evolving its drone warfare capabilities, particularly its production and deployment of small, low-cost first-person view UAVs akin to those seen during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A July 2025 memo by defense secretary Pete Hegseth urged military leadership to accelerate the adoption of drones among troops.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/15/politics/drone-us-military-russia-ukraine|work=CNN|title=US drone dilemma: Why the most advanced military in the world is playing catchup on the modern battlefield|date=15 September 2025|access-date=19 September 2025}}</ref> In September 2025 the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, stated Ukraine had overtaken the U.S. in drone technology amid the Russo-Ukrainian war, as battlefield experience prompted continuous innovation in drones.<ref>{{cite news|title=US 'behind' Ukraine in drone technology, Trump envoy Kellogg says |url=https://kyivindependent.com/us-behind-ukraine-in-drone-technology-trump-envoy-kellogg-says/|work=Kyiv Independent|date=14 September 2025|access-date=19 September 2025}}</ref> Defense industry executive Steve Siomi, the president of robotics defense company Allen Control Systems, said China had overtaken the U.S. in responding to drone proliferation and argued that drone adoption made warfare more affordable for all combatants, including America's rivals.<ref>{{cite news|work=Axios|date=17 September 2025|title=Exclusive: U.S. is "behind" on drone warfare, defense exec says}}</ref>

In July 2025, the U.S. military revealed the LUCAS one-way attack drone which was promoted as a low-cost counter to enemy drone warfare, costing $35,000 per unit. LUCAS utilizes technology reverse engineered from Iran's HESA Shahed 136.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chiu |first=Leo |title=Meet LUCAS: Pentagon’s Modular Reply to Iran’s Shahed |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/post/56499 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250821131506/https://www.kyivpost.com/post/56499 |archive-date=2025-08-21 |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=www.kyivpost.com}}</ref> The U.S. Navy deployed the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) drone speedboat during the 2026 Iran War.<ref name=GARC/>

====Effects==== {{See also|Public opinion about the United States drone attacks|Civilian casualties from the United States drone strikes|PlayStation mentality}} Scholarly opinions are mixed regarding the efficacy of drone strikes. Some studies support that decapitation strikes to kill a terrorist or insurgent group's leadership limits the capabilities of these groups in the future, while other studies contradict this. Drone strikes are successful at suppressing militant behavior, though this response is in anticipation of a drone strike rather than as a result of one. Data from the US and Pakistan's joint counter-terrorism efforts show that militants cease communication and attack planning to avoid detection and targeting.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-050718-032725|doi-access=free|title=Do Emerging Military Technologies Matter for International Politics?|year=2020|last=Horowitz|first=Michael C.|journal=Annual Review of Political Science|volume=23|pages=385–400}}</ref>

Proponents of drone strikes assert that drone strikes are largely effective in targeting specific combatants.<ref name="Byman-2013">{{cite web|last=Byman|first=Daniel L.|date=17 June 2013|title=Why Drones Work: The Case for Washington's Weapon of Choice|url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-drones-work-the-case-for-washingtons-weapon-of-choice/|access-date=16 October 2022|website=Brookings}}</ref> Some scholars argue that drone strikes reduce the amount of civilian casualties and territorial damage when compared to other types of military force like large bombs.<ref name="Byman-2013"/> Military alternatives to drone strikes, such as raids and interrogations, can be extremely risky, time-consuming, and potentially ineffective. Relying on drone strikes does not come without risks as U.S. drone usage sets an international precedent on extraterritorial and extrajudicial killings.<ref name="Byman-2013"/>

===Latin America=== In Mexico, drug cartel drone operators are called "droneros" who are known to use bomb-dropping drones on enemy targets.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/mexicos-drug-war-fought-with-drones-human-shields-gunships | title=Mexico's drug war fought with drones, human shields, gunships | website=PBS | date=25 November 2021}}</ref> The U.S has used drones to help conduct drug busts. The drones are implemented through secret missions to bust cartel leaders.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Washington |first=By Steve Fisher in Mexico City and Vera Bergengruen in |date=2025-02-28 |title=Secret U.S. Drone Program Helped Capture Mexican Cartel Bosses |url=https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/mexico-cartel-us-drone-boss-capture-a0c8e429 |access-date=2025-10-21 |website=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Asia== ===Azerbaijan=== [[File:Bayraktar TB2 at 2020 Victory Parade in Baku.jpg|thumb|Bayraktar TB2 at the 2020 Victory Parade in Baku, Azerbaijan]] UCAVs were used extensively by the Azerbaijani Army against the Armenian Army during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.<ref>{{cite news|date=15 October 2020|last1=Bulos|first1=Nabih|last2=Yam|first2=Marcus|title=A new weapon complicates an old war in Nagorno-Karabakh|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-10-15/drones-complicates-war-armenia-azerbaijan-nagorno-karabakh|access-date=16 October 2022|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> These UCAVs included Israeli IAI Harops and Turkish Bayraktar TB2s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Opinion {{!}} How an explosion of cheap armed drones is changing the nature of warfare|last=Roblin|first=Sébastien|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/cheap-drones-china-turkey-israel-are-fueling-conflicts-armenia-azerbaijan-ncna1243246|access-date=16 October 2022|website=NBC News|date=14 October 2020}}</ref> As the Bayraktar TB2 utilizes Canadian optics and laser targeting systems, Canada suspended export of its military drone technology to Turkey in October 2020 after allegations that the technology had been used to collect intelligence and direct artillery and missile fire at military positions. After the incident, Aselsan stated that it would begin the serial production and integration of the CATS system to replace the Canadian MX15B.<ref>{{cite news|title=Canada suspends exports of military drone technology to Turkey|last=Sevunts|first=Levon|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-turkey-drone-azerbaijan-armenia-1.5751266|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref>

''The Economist'' has cited Azerbaijan's highly effective use of drones against Armenia in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and Turkey's use of drones in the Syrian Civil War as indicating the future of warfare. Noting that it had previously been assumed that drones would not play a major role in conflicts between nations due to their vulnerability to anti-aircraft fire, it suggested that while this might be true for major powers with air defenses, it was less true for minor powers. It noted Azerbaijani tactics and Turkey's use of drones as indicating a "new, more affordable type of air power". It also noted that the ability of drones to record their kills enabled a highly effective Azerbaijani propaganda campaign.<ref name="The Economist"/>

[[File:UCAV 2025 V-J Parade CNS.png|thumb|UCAVs and loyal wingman drones during the 2025 China Victory Day Parade]]

===Thailand=== {{main|2025 Cambodia–Thailand border conflict}}

On 24 July 2025, the Royal Thai Armed Forces launched coordinated drone strikes against the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in the disputed border area near Ta Muen Thom and Ta Krabey. Using FPV drones, quadcopters, and one-way kamikaze UAVs, Thai forces targeted Cambodian command posts, ammunition depots, artillery positions, and communication lines. Analysts described the campaign as one of the most prominent uses of commercial multirotor drones in a state-on-state conflict since the war in Ukraine, challenging assumptions that such drones are ineffective in dense jungle terrain.<ref name="Telegraph2025">{{cite web |title=Thailand adopts Ukraine-style drone tactics to strike Cambodian forces |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/07/28/thailand-ukraine-style-drone-to-strike-cambodian-forces/ |website=The Telegraph |date=28 July 2025 |access-date=1 August 2025}}</ref><ref name="RUSI">{{cite web |title=Thailand Embraces FPV Drone Warfare in Border Conflict |url=https://rusi.org/news-and-comment/in-the-news/thailand-adopts-ukraine-style-drone-warfare-strike-cambodian-forces |website=Royal United Services Institute |date=29 July 2025 |access-date=1 August 2025}}</ref>

===Myanmar=== {{See also|Myanmar Civil War}}

Drones revolutionized the Myanmar civil war, with both the military junta and resistance forces (PDFs/EAOs) using them for surveillance and, primarily, to drop bombs, acting as a crucial, low-cost air force for rebels.

The Tatmadaw uses more sophisticated drones, including Chinese-made CH-3 and CH-4s, along with Shahed-136 "suicide" drones. They use these for surveillance and to guide artillery strikes, increasingly employing "kamikaze" or "suicide" drones that detonate on impact with targets. The military has countered the rebels by strengthening its electronic warfare capabilities, using for example, drone guns, and heavy jamming to disrupt rebel drone operations.

Resistance groups commonly modify commercial agricultural drones for payloads, Initially, resistance forces used small, off-the-shelf quadcopters, but have shifted to larger, custom-made, or modified fixed-wing drones to drop bombs and deliver ordnance, with thousands of attacks documented. Groups like the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) maintain dedicated units to build, repair, and 3D-print drones, often using techniques found on YouTube. Drones have been crucial for resistance fighters for taking over military bases, disrupting troop movements, and operating as a "homemade air force".

October 2021 and June 2023, over 1,400 drone attacks were verified, with, in some cases, thousands of bombs dropped on military bases in a single month. Due to Chinese restrictions on exports of dual-use items, resistance groups have found it more challenging to acquire drones, shifting towards acquiring parts rather than pre-assembled units. The warfare is increasingly shifting toward faster, more durable FPV (First Person View) drones for precise, faster attacks.

==Europe== ===Russo–Ukrainian war (2022–present)=== {{See also|Operation Spiderweb}} [[File:2024- Russian drones launched against Ukraine.svg |thumb |In the Russo-Ukrainian war, use of Russian drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) increased about tenfold from early 2024 through summer 2025.<ref name=NYTimes_20250908>{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Lizzie |last2=Korolchuk |first2=Serhii |last3=Galouchka |first3=Anastacia |last4=Khudov |first4=Kostiantyn |last5=Ram |first5=Ed |last6=Chen |first6=Yutao |last7=Ledur |first7=Júlia |last8=Sand |first8=Bishop |title=Russia bombs Ukraine almost every night. This is what it sounds like. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2025/ukraine-bombing-sounds-war-sirens-russia/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=8 September 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250909004516/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2025/ukraine-bombing-sounds-war-sirens-russia/ |archive-date=9 September 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>]] [[File:Destructions in Kharkiv after Russian attack, 2025-08-18 (05).jpg|thumb|Aftermath of a Russian drone strike on an apartment block in Kharkiv, 2025]] [[File:Ukrainian marine drones.jpg|thumb|Ukrainian "Sea Baby" naval drones in 2023]] [[File:UA Vampire UCAV 01.jpg|thumb|Calibrating a "Baba Yaga" heavy lift drone in 2024]] [[File:2024-07-08 - 24 OMBr ZSU - For Okhmatdyt - Chasiv Yar - 04.jpg|thumb|Ukrainian FPV ''kamikaze'' drones utilized during the battle of Chasiv Yar]]

During the Russo-Ukrainian war, both sides have used drones in combat and for reconnaissance, and drones have played an important role in long-range bombing attacks and supporting ground assaults and offensives. Ukrainian forces extensively used the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone throughout the conflict in strikes against Russian forces. Russian forces meanwhile launched waves of Iranian HESA Shahed 136 drones during the October 2022 missile strikes on Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-10-17 |title=How are 'kamikaze' drones being used by Russia and Ukraine? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-62225830 |access-date=2022-10-20}}</ref> Ukraine and Russia have since developed their own one-way attack drones . The main roles of drones in the war, however, are in reconnaissance and artillery spotting. Russian sources claimed to have used a "Stupor anti-drone rifle" to jam the radio controls of Ukrainian drones.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian army confirms use of Stupor anti-drone rifle in Ukraine {{!}} Defense News July 2022 Global Security army industry {{!}} Defense Security global news industry army year 2022 {{!}} Archive News year |url=https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_july_2022_global_security_army_industry/russian_army_confirms_use_of_stupor_anti-drone_rifle_in_ukraine.html |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=www.armyrecognition.com|date=6 July 2022 }}</ref>

On 13 October 2022, the first recorded instance of an unarmed drone-on-drone combat encounter occurred above the Donetsk region of Ukraine. A Ukrainian DJI Mavic quadcopter was recorded ramming a Russian drone of the same model, resulting in the latter crashing towards the surface below.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Niles |first=Russ |date=2022-10-20 |title=Video Shows Drone-On-Drone Battle |url=https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/video-shows-drone-on-drone-battle/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=AVweb |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hambling |first=David |title=Ukraine Wins First Drone Vs. Drone Dogfight Against Russia, Opening A New Era Of Warfare (Updated) |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2022/10/14/ukraine-wins-first-drone-vs-drone-dogfight-against-russia-opening-a-new-era-of-warfare/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-18 |title=Video captures dogfight between two Mavic quadcopter drones in Ukraine - AeroTime |url=https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/32398-video-captures-dogfight-between-mavic-drones-in-ukraine |access-date=2022-12-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> Another instance of this aerial ramming tactic occurred on 24 November 2022, this time with the Russian DJI Mavic being recorded plummeting towards the ground after a collision with a Ukrainian drone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McFadden |first=Christopher |date=2022-11-25 |title=Unmanned dogfight: Two drones have allegedly engaged in midair combat over Ukraine |url=https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/drone-on-drone-dogfight-ukraine |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=interestingengineering.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malyasov |first=Dylan |title=Russian 'Z' drone shot down by Ukrainian unmanned aircraft in dogfight – Defence Blog |url=https://defence-blog.com/russian-z-drone-shot-down-by-ukrainian-unmanned-aircraft-in-dogfight/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=defence-blog.com |date=24 November 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> On 9 May 2023, a Russian conscript surrendered to (or rather via) a Ukrainian drone.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kalin |first1=Stephen |last2=Coles |first2=Isabel |date=2023-06-14 |title=The Russian Soldier Who Surrendered to a Ukrainian Drone |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-soldier-surrender-ukraine-drone-3860ab6a |access-date=2023-06-23 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> The average HESA Shahed 136 drone is worth about $20,000. An IRIS-T missile is worth about $430,000 each in comparison. From 13 September until 17 October, open source information suggests that Ukraine has had to spend $28.14 million on defending against these drones.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://eurasiantimes.com/1st-evidence-germanys-much-touted-iris-t-defense-system-used/ |title= 1st Evidence! Germany's 'Much-Touted' IRIS-T Defense System Used By Ukraine 'Clashes' With Russian Missile |publisher=EurAsian Times| author= Sakshi Tiwari |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/19/financial-toll-ukraine-downing-drones-vastly-exceeds-russia-costs |title= Financial toll on Ukraine of downing drones 'vastly exceeds Russian costs' |author= Daniel Boffey|work=The Guardian|date=19 October 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref>

Since at least September 2022, Ukraine has used black naval drones, equipped with the Starlink satellite internet system, to carry attacks on the Russian Black Sea fleet at the Sevastopol Naval base.<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |title=How Elon Musk's satellites have saved Ukraine and changed warfare |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/01/05/how-elon-musks-satellites-have-saved-ukraine-and-changed-warfare |access-date=2023-06-06 |issn=0013-0613}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Copp |first=Tara |date=2023-09-12 |title=Elon Musk blocking Starlink to stop Ukraine attack troubling for DoD |url=https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-military/2023/09/12/elon-musk-blocking-starlink-to-stop-ukraine-attack-troubling-for-dod/ |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=Defense News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":23">{{cite news |last1=Marquardt |first1=Alex |date=13 October 2022 |title=Exclusive: Musk's SpaceX says it can no longer pay for critical satellite services in Ukraine, asks Pentagon to pick up the tab |newspaper=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/13/politics/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-ukraine/}}</ref><ref name=":19">{{Cite news |last=Borger |first=Julian |date=2023-09-07 |title=Elon Musk ordered Starlink to be turned off during Ukraine offensive, book says |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/07/elon-musk-ordered-starlink-turned-off-ukraine-offensive-biography |access-date=2023-09-09 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The naval drones were at first assumed to be for reconnaissance, but appear to carry munitions and act as a bomb.<ref name=":33">{{Cite web |last=Gault |first=Matthew |date=2022-09-26 |title=Mysterious Sea Drone Surfaces in Crimea |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/mysterious-sea-drone-surfaces-in-crimea/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref> With experts noting that the sensors on the front of the naval drone could be used as a laser range finder to help in targeting.<ref name=":33" /> In late October 2022, seven of these drones were used to mount a successful drone attack on the Sevastopol Naval base.<ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ozberk |first=Tayfun |date=2023-08-23 |title=Ukraine's new underwater drone Marichka breaks cover |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/08/ukraines-new-underwater-drone-marichka-breaks-cover/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=Naval News |language=en-US}}</ref>

On 13 October 2022, a Ukrainian MiG-29 became the first manned plane to go down during combat due to a drone. The pilot is claimed to have destroyed a Shahed-136 drone with his cannon. The blast is believed to have brought the plane down and hospitalised the pilot.<ref>{{cite news|date=14 October 2022|last=Kadam|first=Tanmay|title=Ukraine Confirms 1st Known Case Of Fighter Jet Going Down To A Kamikaze Drone; EurAsian Times' Assessment Hits Bulls Eye!|work=Eurasian Times|url=https://eurasiantimes.com/ukraine-confirms-1st-known-case-of-fighter-jet-going-down-to-a-kamikaze/|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref>

In September 2023, Ukrainian troops were reportedly using cardboard drones with GoPro cameras for aerial reconnaissance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eckstein |first=Megan |date=2023-09-13 |title=Cardboard drone vendor retools software based on Ukraine war hacks |url=https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/09/13/cardboard-drone-vendor-retools-software-based-on-ukraine-war-hacks/ |access-date=2023-12-03 |website=Defense News |language=en}}</ref>

Since the start of the war, approximately 30 companies in Ukraine have emerged to mass-produce drones for the war effort. The Ukraine government Ministry of Digital Transformation initiated the "Army of Drones" project and attempted to purchase up to 200,000 drones in 2023, aiming to deploy relatively cheap drones against large advantages Russia has had in military equipment. In 2023, they also sponsored several competitions where the "dozens of drone developers that have sprung up all over Ukraine" are invited to make simulated attacks on ground targets, or chase fixed-wing drones, or even participate in drone dogfight competitions.<ref name=cnn20230603>{{cite news |title=Inside Ukraine's secretive drone program |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/03/europe/ukraine-secretive-drone-program-russia-war-intl |work=CNN News |date=3 June 2023 |access-date=3 June 2023 }}</ref> One new model that has been successful is the "Baba Yaga" hexacopter, which can carry "44 pounds of payload".<ref>{{cite news |title=The mystifying "Baba Yaga" drones in Avdiivka are nightmare for Russians |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-mystifying-baba-yaga-drones-in-avdiivka-are-nightmare-for-russians/ar-AA1kfBw4 |access-date=29 February 2024 |date=20 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harding |first1=Luke |title='We'll get there': the Ukrainian drone unit quietly knocking out Russian targets |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/12/ukraine-prepares-to-take-back-territory-from-russia-step-by-step-roman-kostenko |access-date=29 February 2024 |date=12 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ukraine's 'Baba Yaga' bombing drones: The transformative military tech pressuring Russian defense |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-s-baba-yaga-bombing-drones-the-transformative-military-tech-pressuring-russian-defense/ar-BB1hyelm |access-date=29 February 2024 |date=31 January 2024}}</ref>

From early 2024, Ukraine has started deploying manned aircraft, such as the Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat and Yakovlev Yak-52, which uses snipers or machine guns to shoot down Russian drones.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-28 |title=CWorld War I Tactics Make A Comeback As A Ukrainian Gunner In The Back Of A Propeller Plane Shoots Down A Russian Drone |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/04/28/world-war-i-tactics-make-a-comeback-as-a-ukrainian-gunner-in-the-back-of-a-propeller-plane-shoots-down-a-russian-drone/ |access-date=2022-07-12|author= David Axe|website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-28 |title=Ultralight Drone Hunting Planes Now In Use In Ukraine|url=https://www.twz.com/air/ultralight-drone-hunting-planes-now-in-use-in-ukraine|access-date=2024-07-12|author=THOMAS NEWDICK|website=TWZ |language=en}}</ref> Ukrainian drones have also been given a variety of improvised modifications for the express purpose of attacking and countering Russian drones; these include an instance in July 2024 where an FPV drone with a stick mounted to it was used to attack and eventually destroy a ZALA 421-16E reconnaissance drone through repeated aerial ramming.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Triffaux |title=Ukrainian Drone with Wooden Stick Neutralizes Modern Russian ZALA 421 UAV in Aerial Combat |url=https://armyrecognition.com/focus-analysis-conflicts/army/conflicts-in-the-world/russia-ukraine-war-2022/ukrainian-drone-with-wooden-stick-neutralizes-modern-russian-zala-421-uav-in-aerial-combat |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=armyrecognition.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> In 2024 drones controlled through a tether with optical fiber became commonplace, thus avoiding radio jamming.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-09 |title=How Do Fiber Optic Drones Work? Everything You Need To Know |url=https://defensefeeds.com/analysis/how-do-fiber-optic-drones-work/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |language=en-US}}</ref>

On 31 July 2024, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was downed over occupied Donetsk, by a Ukrainian FPV drone, the first time a helicopter in combat was destroyed by a drone. The Mi-8 was believed to have been attacked near the ground either during landing or take off.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Ukraine just showed its low-cost, lightweight drones can destroy a Russian helicopter, Russian sources say |url= https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-low-cost-drone-destroy-russian-helicopter-mi8-donetsk-2024-8?amp |date=1 August 2024 |access-date=2024-08-01|author= Matthew Loh |publisher= Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= Media: Ukrainian drone downs Russian Mi-8 helicopter in first such attack |url= https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/07/31/media-ukrainian-drone-downs-russian-mi-8-helicopter-in-first-such-attack/ |date=1 August 2024 |access-date=2024-08-01|author= YEVHENIIA MARTYNIUK| publisher= euromaidanpress }}</ref>

In February 2025, Russian authorities reportedly discovered a plot in which a shipment of FPV drone headsets loaded with explosives were sent to Russian soldiers. Each headset had 10-15 grams of explosives and were programmed to detonate on activation. Officials compared it to the 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks by Israel.<ref>{{Cite web |work=TWZ|date=2025-02-08 |title= Explosive-Laden Goggles Sent To Russian FPV Drone Operators |url= https://www.yahoo.com/news/explosive-laden-goggles-sent-russian-204645466.html|author= Howard Altman |access-date=2025-02-08}}</ref> Subsequent reports claimed 8 Russian FPV pilots lost their eyesight due to explosions between 4 and 7 February.<ref>{{Cite web |work=TWZ|date=2025-02-18|title= Explosive-Eight Russian UAV Operators Lose Sight After FPV Goggles Exploded Remotely |url= https://mil.in.ua/en/news/eight-russian-uav-operators-lose-sight-after-fpv-goggles-exploded-remotely/ |access-date=2025-02-19}}</ref>

On 1 June 2025, Ukraine carried out Operation Spiderweb. Dozens of FPV drones were smuggled into Russia in trucks, and were then launched from the trucks to strike Russian airbases, including Belaya and Olenya, destroying multiple Russian strategic bombers.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Mazhulin |first1=Artem |last2=Holmes |first2=Oliver |last3=Swan |first3=Lucy |last4=Boulinier |first4=Laure |last5=Hecimovic |first5=Arnel |date=2025-06-02 |title=Operation Spiderweb: a visual guide to Ukraine's destruction of Russian aircraft |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/02/operation-spiderweb-visual-guide-ukraine-drone-attack-russian-aircraft |access-date=2025-08-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have caused a fuel crisis in Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nekrasov |first=Dmitry |date=2025-12-03 |title=Did Russia Really Have a Gasoline Crisis? New Data Suggests Otherwise. |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/12/03/did-russia-really-have-a-gasoline-crisis-new-data-suggests-otherwise-a91322 |access-date=2025-12-05 |website=The Moscow Times |language=en}}</ref>

Nevertheless, an article by a Ukrainian journalist published by the Atlantic Council in December 2025 states: "The Kremlin strategy has focused on mass producing a limited range of models for use on the battlefield and in the bombardment of Ukrainian cities. This methodical approach has paid dividends. By the end of 2024, it was already becoming clear that the drone war was turning in Russia's favor. This trend has only intensified over the past year".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickinson |first=Peter |date=2025-12-04 |title=Russia has learned from Ukraine and is now winning the drone war |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russia-has-learned-from-ukraine-and-is-now-winning-the-drone-war/ |access-date=2025-12-05 |website=Atlantic Council |language=en-US}}</ref>

The largest drone strike of the war was on 7 September 2025, when Russia launched 810 drones and 13 missiles at Ukraine, of which 747 drones and four missiles were intercepted, while 54 drones struck targets.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 September 2025 |title=Ukraine government building damaged in Kyiv in the largest Russian attack since the war began|url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-attack-putin-zelenskyy-3ac9053a31872b2e7a1191ef31d595fb |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250907050728/https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-attack-putin-zelenskyy-3ac9053a31872b2e7a1191ef31d595fb |archive-date=7 September 2025 |access-date=7 September 2025 |website=Associated Press }}</ref>

On 9 September 2025, over a dozen Russian drones breached Polish airspace, prompting a NATO Quick Reaction Alert and Poland invoking Article 4 of the NATO treaty. At least four of the drones were confirmed shot down. On 18 September Polish and Ukrainian officials announced that the two countries would establish joint military training and production programs, as the Ukrainian military had emerged as a major pioneer in drone warfare in the Russo-Ukrainian war.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poland-drones-defense-kyiv-ec284922b946737b98a28f179ac0c5a0|work=Associated Press|title=Warsaw turns to Ukraine for drone warfare expertise after Russian drones enter Polish airspace|date=18 September 2025|access-date=19 September 2025}}</ref>

By 2026, some Ukrainian media analysis framed long-range drone and missile-drone strikes as part of a broader shift from tactical drone use near the front line toward attacks on Russian logistical infrastructure, including fuel supplies, transport nodes, ports, warehouses, repair facilities and air defence systems.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Cost of Control: How Logistical Warfare Is Changing Ukraine’s Negotiating Position |url=https://mintrans.news/en/logistics/vartist-kontrolyu-yak-logistichna-viyna-zminyuye-peregovornu-pozitsiyu-ukrayini |website=Mintrans |date=2026 |access-date=28 May 2026}}</ref>

==Middle East and North Africa== {{Expand section|date=September 2025}}

===Iran=== {{Main|Unmanned aerial vehicles in the Iranian military}}

In December 2011, Iranian forces captured a U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel reconnaissance drone. The Iranians reverse engineered the RQ-170 to emulate its technology and produce domestic analogs such as the Shahed 171 Simorgh and Shahed Saeqeh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://defenceradar.com/2014/11/10/iran-carries-successful-test-flight-of-reverse-engineered-rq-170/|title=Iran carries successful test flight of reverse-engineered RQ-170|date=Nov 10, 2014|access-date=10 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110130745/http://defenceradar.com/2014/11/10/iran-carries-successful-test-flight-of-reverse-engineered-rq-170/|archive-date=10 November 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-uav-that-entered-israeli-airspace-seems-to-be-american-stealth-knock-off/|title=Iranian UAV that entered Israeli airspace seems to be American stealth knock-off|last=Gross|first=Judah Ari|date=10 February 2018|work=The Times of Israel|access-date=12 February 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Iran's Qods Yasir is also based on a captured U.S. MQ-27 ScanEagle UAV.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dronecenter.bard.edu/files/2016/12/Drones-in-Iraq-and-Syria-CSD.pdf|title=Drones Operating in Syria and Iraq|publisher= Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College|last=Gettinger|first=Dan|date=December 2016}}</ref>

In 2025, as part of the Twelve-Day War, Iran launched several drone attacks on Israel in response to Israel's bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barnes |first=Joe |date=2025-06-15 |title=Khamenei killed in Israel-US strikes; 2 dead as UAE intercepts attacks |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/mena/us-iran-tensions-israel-strikes-tehran-live-updates |access-date=2026-02-28 |work=Khaleej Times |language=en}}</ref> In 2026, Iran launched drones against many countries in the Middle East as part of the 2026 Iran war.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Khamenei killed in Israel-US strikes; 2 dead as UAE intercepts attacks |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/mena/us-iran-tensions-israel-strikes-tehran-live-updates |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=Khaleej Times |language=en}}</ref>

=== Israel === Israel utilized drones in warfare since 1973, starting with usage in the Yom Kippur War to conduct surveillance missions and counter Egyptian and Syrian surface-to-air missile systems.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NOVA {{!}} Spies That Fly {{!}} Firebee 1241 (Israel) {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/spiesfly/uavs_11.html |access-date=2026-03-05 |website=www.pbs.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Perspective on Israel |url=https://drones.cnas.org/reports/a-perspective-on-israel/ |access-date=2026-03-05 |website=Proliferated Drones |language=en-US}}</ref> Israel uses drones extensively in warfare for surveillance and targeted attacks on enemies.

Israel is a leading developer and manufacturer of military drones, in 2021, drones made up 9% of Israel's arm exports<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drones in the Formation, Development, and Militarization of Israel |url=https://worldpeacefoundation.org/blog/drones-in-the-formation-development-and-militarization-of-israel/ |access-date=2026-03-05 |website=World Peace Foundation |language=en}}</ref>.

===Libya=== In 2020, a Turkish-made UAV loaded with explosives detected and attacked Haftar's forces in Libya with artificial intelligence and without command, according to a report from the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts on Libya published in March 2021. It was considered the first attack carried out by an AI UAV.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Froelich |first1=Paula |title=Killer drone 'hunted down a human target' without being told to|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/killer-drone-hunted-down-a-human-target-without-being-told-to.amp|access-date=31 May 2021|publisher=Fox News |date=29 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=BM raporu: Dünyada ilk otonom drone saldırısını Türk yapımı İHA gerçekleştirdi |url=https://www.indyturk.com/node/366921/haber/bm-raporu-d%C3%BCnyada-ilk-otonom-drone-sald%C4%B1r%C4%B1s%C4%B1n%C4%B1-t%C3%BCrk-yap%C4%B1m%C4%B1-i%CC%87ha-ger%C3%A7ekle%C5%9Ftirdi|access-date=31 May 2021|work=The Independent|date=31 May 2021|language=tr}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Zitser|first=Joshua|title=A rogue killer drone 'hunted down' a human target without being instructed to, UN report says|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/killer-drone-hunted-down-human-target-without-being-told-un-2021-5?amp|access-date=31 May 2021|publisher=Business Insider|date=30 May 2021}}</ref>

===Sudan=== On 19 September 2025, amid the siege of El Fasher during the Sudanese civil war, a Rapid Support Forces drone struck a mosque at an IDP camp, killing 75 people.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sudan-war-darfur-el-fasher-rsf-drone-strike-un-war-escalating/|work=CBS|date=19 September 2025|title=75 killed in Sudan displacement camp by RSF drone strike, aid group says, as U.N. says civil war escalating}}</ref> Sudan's paramilitary has also unleashed drone strikes on the city of Port Sudan. These strikes have been a part of the ongoing civil war in Sudan <ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=español |first=SAMY MAGDY Leer en |date=2025-05-06 |title=Sudan's paramilitary unleashes drones on key targets in Port Sudan, officials say |url=https://apnews.com/article/sudan-war-rsf-military-396f67d3fada66707094858086b2ee53 |access-date=2025-10-21 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>

===Syria=== On 6 January 2018, Russian forces thwarted a drone (UAV) swarm attack on the Khmeimim Air Base, the first of this kind in the history of warfare.<ref name=BBCthwarts/> The HTS, an Islamist group, utilized drone warfare to help take over Damascus on Dec. 8, 2024.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dass |first=Rueben |date=2024-12-13 |title=Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's Drone Force |url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/hayat-tahrir-al-sham-s-drone-force |journal=Lawfare |language=en}}</ref>

===Hamas drone attacks=== On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched incursions of southern Israel, using commercial drones to bomb Israeli guard towers before breaching the border wall. Videos of Israeli troops and a Merkava IV tank being taken out by drones surfaced on the internet.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Achom |first1=Debanish |title=In Israel-Gaza War, Hamas' Off-The-Shelf Drones Destroy Million Dollar Hardware |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/in-israel-gaza-war-hamas-off-the-shelf-drones-destroy-million-dollar-hardware-4471329 |work=NDTV |date=11 October 2023|access-date=2 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Nicola |title=Hamas using Ukraine war tactics to ambush Israeli soldiers in Gaza |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/11/02/hamas-using-ukraine-war-tactics-ambush-soldiers-gaza/ |access-date=2 November 2023 |work=The Telegraph |date=2 November 2023}}</ref> In 2025, there's an up-tick in drone usage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-05 |title=Hamas using drones more in Gaza, which are wounding Israeli soldiers |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-856621 |access-date=2025-10-21 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en |issn=0792-822X }}</ref>

===Houthi drone attacks=== {{main|Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict|Red Sea crisis|Houthi attacks on commercial vessels}}

On 25 March 2022, the Houthis launched coordinated drone and missile strikes on multiple Saudi energy facilities, including sites in Jeddah and Ras Tanura. The attacks temporarily disrupted oil production and caused fires at Aramco facilities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nevola |first=Luca |date=2023-01-17 |title=Beyond Riyadh: Houthi Cross-Border Aerial Warfare (2015-2022) |url=https://acleddata.com/2023/01/17/beyond-riyadh-houthi-cross-border-aerial-warfare-2015-2022/ |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=ACLED |language=en-US}}</ref>

Between late 2023 and July 2024, during the Gaza War, the Houthis carried out over 100 attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. These attacks used drones, missiles, and fast boats, targeting vessels linked to Israel, the U.S., and its allies.

===Islamic State drone attacks=== Small drones and quadcopters have been used for strikes by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. A group of twelve or more have been piloted by specially trained pilots to drop munitions onto enemy forces. They have been able to evade ground defense forces.<ref name="ISISDrones">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-isis-drones-20170928-story.html|title=Islamic State's deadly drone operation is faltering, but U.S. commanders see broader danger ahead|date=28 September 2017|first=W.J.|last=Hennigan|work=L.A. Times|access-date=16 October 2022}}</ref>

During the battle for Mosul, the Islamic State was able to kill or wound dozens of Iraqi soldiers by dropping light explosives or 40-millimeter grenades from numerous drones attacking at the same time. Drone strikes were also used to destroy military supplies. Drone footage released by the Islamic State showed bombs being dropped on an ammunition facility located in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, an area of contested control between the Islamic State and the Syrian government at the time.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-10-25 |title=Footage shows Islamic State drone blowing up stadium ammo dump |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-25/footage-shows-is-drone-attack-on-syrian-government-stadium/9085750 |access-date=2022-10-22}}</ref>

In 2017, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated at a Senate hearing that "We do know that terrorist organizations have an interest in using drones{{nbsp}}... We have seen that overseas already with some frequency. I think that the expectation is that it is coming here imminently."<ref name="ISISDrones"/>

Drone expert Brett Velicovich discussed the dangers of the Islamic State utilizing off-the-shelf drones to attack civilian targets, claiming in an interview with Fox News that it was only a matter of time before ISIS extremists use of drones to strike civilian targets would become more prevalent and sophisticated.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kopp|first=Jason|date=7 July 2017|title=Homeland Security concerned about commercial drones being used for 'nefarious purposes'|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/homeland-security-concerned-about-commercial-drones-being-used-for-nefarious-purposes|access-date=16 December 2020|website=Fox News}}</ref>

The overall success rate for drone strikes used by the Islamic State is unclear. The Islamic State may have used drones as a way to gather footage for propaganda purposes rather than for their military value.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Archambault |first1=Emil |last2=Veilleux-Lepage |first2=Yannick |date=1 July 2020 |title=Drone imagery in Islamic State propaganda: flying like a state |url=https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/96/4/955/5813533 |website=International Affairs}}</ref>

==Anti-drone warfare== {{see also|Electronic warfare|Anti-aircraft warfare}} [[File:332nd ESFS demos weapons for German counterparts.jpg|thumb|German soldier displays a Dronebuster electronic warfare counter-UAV weapon, December 2025]]

Anti-drone warfare involves countering drones with kinetic force (missiles, projectiles or another drone) or by non-kinetic force (lasers, microwave weapons, communications jamming).<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://unidir.org/publication/uncrewed-aerial-systems-primer |title=Uncrewed Aerial Systems: A Primer |date=19 October 2022 |website=United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research |last1=Grand-Clément |first1=Sarah |last2=Bajon |first2=Theò |access-date=5 January 2023 |archive-date=5 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105181006/https://unidir.org/publication/uncrewed-aerial-systems-primer}}</ref> Drones can be shot down from the ground with anti-aircraft guns, missile interceptors, or lasers; shot down from the air with fighter aircraft or even anti-drone guns; and can also be downed using other drones. Electronic countermeasures include signal jamming, and hi-jacking by means of in-flight hacking. In Ukraine, drones have even been downed with shotguns and rifles. Anti-drone mesh is also used to protect vehicles, buildings and roads.

Larger drones such as the MQ-1 Predator can be (and often are) shot down like manned aircraft of similar sizes and flight profiles.<ref>{{cite news |last=Everstine |first=Brian |date=29 June 2015|title=Air Force: Lost Predator was shot down in Syria |url=https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2015/06/29/air-force-lost-predator-was-shot-down-in-syria/ |work=Air Force Times |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Saphora |last2=Kube |first2=Courtney |last3=Gubash |first3=Charlene |last4=Gains |first4=Mosheh |date=21 August 2019 |title=U.S. military drone shot down over Yemen, officials say |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-military-drone-shot-down-over-yemen-officials-say-n1044726 |work=NBC News |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref>

===Anti-drone weapons=== :Category:Anti-drone weapons *Laser weapon: Anti-drone systems *Bukovel (counter unmanned aircraft system), Ukrainian anti-drone electronic warfare system *EDM4S (Electronic Drone Mitigation 4 - System), Lithuanian portable electronic warfare anti-drone device *R-330Zh Zhitel, Russian truck-mounted jamming communication station

==See also== ===Large systems and manufacturers=== *Drone Dome, Israeli anti-aircraft, including anti-drone system developed by Rafael ADS *DronesVision, Taiwanese arms manufacturer, specialising in UAV and anti-UAV technologies *ZALA Aero Group, Russian arms manufacturer, specialising in UAV and anti-UAV EW systems

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book| last = Sekirin | first = Illya |editor=Andrew Simms | title = Rise of the Machines. Drone Warfare in the Russia-Ukraine War – Tactics, Operations, Strategy | publisher = Helion & Company| date = 2026| location = | isbn = 9781804519707}}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|lcfirst=yes|Drone strikes}}

Category:Aerial bombing Category:Aerial warfare strategy Category:Airstrikes Category:Attacks by method Category:Drone strikes Category:Improvised weapons Category:Targeting (warfare) Category:Drone warfare