and Mali. But now they are increasingly being deployed by terrorists – sparking a global sense of urgency.
Drones are by and large a force for good, for example in delivering medicines to hard-to-reach parts of Africa. But their widespread availability, increased range and growing sophistication in terms of payload have seen anThe hobbyist drone market has grown rapidly, with global sales increasing from $14 billion in 2018 to a projected $43 billion in 2024,to Drone Industry Insights.
The continent has yet to witness a major installation being targeted by a UAS. But there is growing evidence of drones being weaponised by violent extremists and transnational criminal networks, either as a surveillance tool or as part of their intelligence and reconnaissance operations. As ISS Today has previously
For a start, research is being done to understand how terrorists use drones. A joint UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, and Conflict Armament Research project is underway to assess global trends. The next steps will be to classify types of UAS and establish a registration system so they can be tracked.on protecting vulnerable targets from drone attacks, knowing that commercial or hobbyist drones are being shaped into weapons.