SN06493.pdf — page 4

Number 06493, 8 October 2015 
4 
Summary 
This note provides an introduction to the use of Remotely Piloted or 
Unmanned Aircraft by the UK Armed Forces. They are more commonly 
known as drones and have been described as the most contentious 
conventional weapons system currently in use.1  
Remotely piloted or unmanned aircraft range in size from simple, hand-
operated systems to high altitude, long endurance systems similar in 
operation to manned aircraft. They allow ground troops to look over a 
hill to assess enemy positions or, by loitering over an area for many 
hours, provide commanders with persistent surveillance of enemy 
positions without putting service personnel at risk.2  
In Afghanistan (2007-2014) they were primarily used to support ground 
troops to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Only one 
of the five systems in the UK’s current inventory can be armed: Reaper 
carried out air strikes in Afghanistan and since 2014 in Iraq. Two British 
nationals were killed in Syria by a UK Reaper aircraft in 21 August 2015. 
The Prime Minister said this was the first time in modern times that a 
British asset has been used to conduct a strike in a country where the 
UK is not involved in a war.3 2014 also saw the first deployment of a 
remotely piloted aircraft on maritime operations.  
The forthcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review should provide 
some clarity on how the Government envisages how remotely piloted 
air systems will fit into its future force plans.4 The UK is already actively 
seeking a replacement for Reaper from 2018 and the Prime Minister 
announced in early October 2015 plans to replace the existing fleet of 
10 Reapers with more than 20 new RPAS.5 The Ministry of Defence is 
also considering whether a remotely piloted aircraft could fulfil its 
maritime surveillance needs. Further ahead, the Government is jointly 
funding with France a study into the feasibility of an unmanned combat 
aircraft as a possible replacement for Typhoon from 2030.  
Why are they contentious? Their use by the United States to conduct 
‘targeted killings’ in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere has raised 
awareness about this relatively new technology and prompted questions 
about the legality, utility and morality of these systems. These questions, 
which are explored in this note, include: do airstrikes from remotely 
piloted aircraft comply with international law? Does having the 
capability lower the threshold to use force? Does it turn warfare into a 
‘video game’ with operators firing missiles by remote control? How is 
information gathered by UK aircraft shared and used by our allies? How 
much of the system is automated and how much is controlled by a 
                                                                                             
1  Birmingham Policy Commission, The security impact of drones: challenges and 
opportunities for the UK, October 2014 p14. This excludes the UK’s nuclear 
deterrent which is considered a strategic and not a conventional weapon. 
2  “UK eyes in the Sky” Desider, February 2014, p29  
3  HC Deb 7 September 2015 c30 
4  The quote by Philip Hammond on the top right of the page is from: HC Deb 23 
January 2014 c476 
5  “New investment in counter-terrorism for the UK armed forces”, Prime Minister’s 
office, 4 October 2015 
“We expect 
unmanned aerial 
vehicles to form a 
permanent and 
significant part of our 
future aerial 
capability.” 
Philip Hammond, 
then Defence 
Secretary, 2014