The Small-State Drone Advantage: A Study of the Russo-Ukraine War and the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

Abstract

In the field of emerging military technologies, combat drones have taken the center stage as a frequently used and publicized device. Emerging as a popular weapon of choice among governments as a counter-terrorist weapon, drone use has evolved from targeted strikes to prominent battlefield usage. Much of the literature on combat drones are drawn from the perspective of large states on its effectiveness of targeted drones strikes, drone proliferation and the ethics of drone use. Yet, little has been discussed on how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) might change the dynamics of a small states place in the international community. This leads to the research question of this paper: Does the possession and use of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) enable small states to deter conflict or threats from large states? Since its widespread proliferation, combat drones have been regularly used by small states in conflicts such as the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Russo-Ukraine war. This research paper argues that with the increasing possession of UAVs by small-powered states, the number of conflicts should decrease as small states are gradually more able to withstand armed threats and entanglements with other actors.