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Military Drones

Commentary
Chinese Strategists Evaluate the Use of 'Kamikaze' Drones in the Russia-Ukraine War
Both Russia and Ukraine have used loitering munitions successfully in the current war, and China is watching closely. Chinese strategists are likely already considering how to refine offensive tactics and improve defensive countermeasures in the context of a Taiwan scenario.
Nov 7, 2023
Commentary
UFOs Are Not the Only Potential Threat in American Skies
How can the United States best monitor its millions of square miles of domestic airspace for unidentified anomalous phenomena—what were once called UFOs—or anything else? Public reporting could help officials identify potential threats—but it'd help if the sightings being reported were actually unknown aerial phenomena and not U.S. military aircraft.
Jul 25, 2023
Report
Where Are Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Sightings in the United States?
The February 2023 Chinese surveillance balloon incident raised questions about the degree to which the U.S. government knows who is flying what over its skies. Public reporting of unidentified aerial phenomena may help officials identify potential threats.
Jul 25, 2023
Commentary
Is the Warning Clock on Our National Defense Running Out?
The United States has never invoked a ten-year rule regarding preparations for long-term military competition with China, as Great Britain did after World War I. But there have been times when the United States has behaved as if such a rule were in place.
Jul 10, 2023
Commentary
Can Cheap Drones Be the Answer to Tensions in the Taiwan Strait?
The more we learn about the war in Ukraine, the more we come to know that drones will play an increasingly important role on the modern battlefield. But how is the U.S. military thinking about what role these aircraft might play in future wars? When paired with modern sensors, could they offer an asymmetric advantage in future competitions?
Jun 29, 2023
Journal Article
Aerial Minefields Can Put the 'Miss' in Missiles
The growing missile threat is the greatest tactical challenge of the early 21st century. Adversaries ranging from near-peer competitors to rebel groups increasingly can wield highly accurate missiles that can strike ships, ground forces, and key installations.
May 23, 2023
Report
Characterizing the Uncrewed Systems Industrial Base
The Department of Defense has hypothesized that future demand for uncrewed systems (UxS) will strain the capacity of the defense industrial base (DIB). This report contains an analysis of UxS demand and recommendations on strengthening the DIB.
Apr 26, 2023
Commentary
'Wonder Weapons' Will Not Win Russia's War
With its army increasingly in shambles, Russia has turned to attacking Ukraine's civilian infrastructure with Iranian-made drones in an effort to destroy Ukrainians' will to fight. These tactics will inflict pain on the Ukrainian population, but if history is any guide, they will not forestall a Russian defeat.
Nov 10, 2022
Report
Supporting Combat Power Projection Away from Fixed Infrastructure
The authors examine the logistics and sustainment aspects of an emerging operational concept for employing a family of unmanned aerial vehicles that can be launched, recovered, and sustained with minimal reliance on runways.
Jan 26, 2022
Report
Assessing the Value of Intelligence Collected by U.S. Air Force Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Platforms
Commanders, planners, and operators across the U.S. Air Force's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) enterprise face difficult decisions about how to best meet ISR needs. How can the U.S. Air Force better assess the value of airborne ISR?
Jun 11, 2021
Commentary
Drone-Era Warfare Shows the Operational Limits of Air Defense Systems
External powers have intervened in the civil wars in Libya and Syria, supplying advanced conventional weapons that have intensified the conflicts. But not all of the weapons have performed as claimed.
Jul 2, 2020
Report
Advancing Autonomous Systems: An Analysis of Current and Future Technology for Unmanned Maritime Vehicles
In this report, RAND researchers explore current and potential military applications of autonomous systems, focusing especially on unmanned undersea vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles.
Jan 4, 2019
Commentary
Approaching a 'New Normal': What the Drone Attack in Venezuela Portends
The attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Maduro showed that drones are easy to use and difficult to defend against. Commercial off-the-shelf technology is easy to acquire. It is imperative that counterterrorism specialists begin planning a robust response to the threat.
Aug 13, 2018
Report
Limited Intervention: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Limited Stabilization, Limited Strike, and Containment Operations
The report analyzes the strategic effects of low-cost and small-footprint military options across a range of irregular warfare operations and in a range of operational environments.
Feb 22, 2018