Small UAV manufacturers pose a challenge to the oligopoly of established combat aerospace

By Charles Shaw

The advent of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has had a appreciable impact on the aerospace industry. UAVs have also become highly controversial, and increasingly subject to ethical and legal scrutiny. While the dominance of US and Israeli manufacturers remains evident, a number of European vendors have made significant advances. In addition, a number of collaborative projects have been launched.

The UAV market is immediately global. There are over 80 countries with an individual or collaborative UAV programme and over 700 technology platforms either already deployed or in various stages of development. It is true that a number of these platforms are design concepts and one-off experimental designs, rather than fully ready vehicles. Nevertheless, there is an argument that this technology represents an entry point into the aerospace sector and poses a challenge to the oligopoly of established combat aerospace. With small UAV market the barriers to entry are, understandably, smaller. How much of a challenge the emerging new entrants in the UAV sector will pose to the established defence contractors will largely depend on whether there will be any significant changes in traditional procurement and political processes affecting the design, development and purchase of defence systems and weapons.

It is widely expected that the use of UAVs will increase during armed conflicts and measures of self-defence within or outside the context of war. As the technology advances, in the future some UAVs will be the size of a bumblebee. In the context of identification and engagement of targets, such unmanned aerial vehicles or systems will use sophisticated forms of intelligence gathering and analysis for decision making. The capabilities of such systems will inevitably converge towards fully autonomous operational, decisional and learning function. At present it is not generally expected that the use of such technologies will require a change in relevant international law. However, it may present issues in the future, particularly with respect to “law enforcement” as that phrase is used in international law. Depending on their capabilities, smart autonomous aerial vehicles may be blind with respect to the need to comply with customary principles of proportionality and distinction.

For more information on the Global small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market, see the latest research: Global Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market