Drone warfare

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. These weaponized civilian drones may proceed to fire munition or a missile, drop explosives and crash into or detonate above vulnerable targets. Anti-UAV systems are being developed by states to counter the threat posed by commercial UCAVs. 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." ==Americas==

United States firing a Hellfire missile 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. 81 insurgent leaders in Pakistan have been killed. 57 Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders are confirmed to have been killed. 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:"... 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." After US president Donald Trump had increased drone strikes by over 400%, his successor Joe Biden reversed course. Under Biden, drone strikes reportedly decreased. A Biden administration drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan in August 2021 killed 10 civilians, including seven children. Later, a drone strike killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The U.S. Navy deployed the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) drone speedboat during the 2026 Iran War. Proponents of drone strikes assert that drone strikes are largely effective in targeting specific combatants. 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. The U.S has used drones to help conduct drug busts. The drones are implemented through secret missions to bust cartel leaders. ==Asia==

Azerbaijan 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. These UCAVs included Israeli IAI Harops and Turkish Bayraktar TB2s. 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. 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. Myanmar Drones have 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==

Poland 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. Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present) , use of Russian drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) increased about tenfold from early 2024 through summer 2025. , a Russian loitering munition deployed in Ukraine since 2022 " naval drones in 2023 " heavy lift drone in 2024 During the Russo-Ukrainian war, both sides used drones in combat and for reconnaissance, and drones 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. 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. 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. 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. On 9 May 2023, a Russian conscript surrendered to (or rather via) a Ukrainian drone. 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. 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. The naval drones were at first assumed to be for reconnaissance, but appear to carry munitions and act as a bomb. 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. 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. In September 2023, Ukrainian troops were reportedly using cardboard drones with GoPro cameras for aerial reconnaissance. Since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian 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. One new model that has been successful is the "Baba Yaga" hexacopter, which can carry "44 pounds of payload". As of April 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. 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. In 2024 drones controlled a through a tether with optical fiber became commonplace, thus avoiding radio jamming. On 31 July 2024, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down 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 on the ground either during landing or take off. Russia launched the largest drone strike of the war on 25 November 2024, when it attacked Ukraine with 188 drones. Ukrainian forces shot down 76 and lost track of 96, likely due to electronic jamming. Other drones struck the energy grid and civilian homes. / best wishes / love you orcs" On 8 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. Subsequent reports claimed 8 Russian FPV pilots lost their eyesight due to explosions between 4 and 7 February. The first explosion was reported on 4 February in the Belgorod oblast, subsequent explosions occurred in Kursk, Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The largest drone-and‑missile attack by Russia since the full‑scale invasion occurred on 18–25 May 2025, during which Russian forces launched approximately 1,000 aerial weapons against Ukraine, combining 355 Shahed drones, about 23 Iskander ballistic missiles, and over 60 air‑launched cruise missiles, including the X‑101 and X‑555. The assault hit Kyiv and multiple other regions, killing more than 15 civilians and injuring dozens, while dramatically increasing pressure on Ukraine’s air defenses and supply chains. On 1 June 2025, Ukrainian FPV drones smuggled into Russia were launched from trucks to strike Russian airbases, including Belaya and Olenya, destroying multiple Russian strategic bombers. Starting in August 2025, Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have caused a fuel crisis in Russia. 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. ==Middle East and North Africa==

Iran 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. Iran's Qods Yasir is also based on a captured U.S. MQ-27 ScanEagle UAV. 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. In 2026, Iran launched drones against many countries in the Middle East as part of the 2026 Iran war. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. In 2025, there's an up-tick in drone usage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Houthi drone attacks 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. 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. 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. In 2017, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated at a Senate hearing that "We do know that terrorist organizations have an interest in using drones... We have seen that overseas already with some frequency. I think that the expectation is that it is coming here imminently." 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. ==See also==