Drone warfare#United States

{{Main|Unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States military}}

{{See also|Disposition Matrix|Special Activities Center|432nd Wing}}

File:Predator and Hellfire.jpg firing a Hellfire missile]]

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/projects/drone-war|title=The Bureau's complete data sets on drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia|work=Bureau of Investigative Journalism|date=6 June 2015|access-date=16 October 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newamerica.org/international-security/reports/americas-counterterrorism-wars/the-drone-war-in-pakistan/|title=Drone Strikes: Pakistan|website=New America|access-date=16 October 2022}} 81 insurgent leaders in Pakistan have been killed. Drone strikes in Yemen are estimated to have killed 846–1,758 militants and 116–225 civilians.{{cite web|url=https://www.newamerica.org/in-depth/americas-counterterrorism-wars/us-targeted-killing-program-yemen/|title=Drone Strikes: Yemen|publisher=New America|access-date=16 October 2022|place=Washington, DC, US}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/projects/drone-war/yemen|title=Drone War: Yemen|access-date=16 October 2022|publisher=The Bureau of Investigative Journalism|archive-date=25 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325011247/https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/projects/drone-war/yemen|url-status=dead}} 57 Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders are confirmed to have been killed.{{cite web|url=http://securitydata.newamerica.net/drones/leaders-killed.html?country=Yemen|access-date=2018-04-20|title=Yemen Leaders Killed|publisher=New America|place=Washington, DC, US}}

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:{{nbsp}}"... 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."{{cite news|title=Report: Saudi-UAE coalition 'cut deals' with al-Qaeda in Yemen|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/08/report-saudi-uae-coalition-cut-deals-al-qaeda-yemen-180806074659521.html|work=Al-Jazeera|date=6 August 2018|access-date=16 October 2022}}{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|title=US allies, Al Qaeda battle rebels in Yemen|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-allies-al-qaeda-battle-rebels-in-yemen|work=Fox News|date=7 August 2018|access-date=16 October 2022}}{{cite news|last1=Michael|first1=Maggie|last2=Wilson|first2=Trish|last3=Keath|first3=Lee|title=Allies cut deals with al Qaeda in Yemen to serve larger fight with Iran|url=https://www.sfgate.com/world/article/Allies-cut-deals-with-al-Qaeda-in-Yemen-to-serve-13135822.php|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=6 August 2018|access-date=16 October 2022}}

After US president Donald Trump had increased drone strikes by over 400%,{{cite news|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2019/5/8/18619206/under-donald-trump-drone-strikes-far-exceed-obama-s-numbers|title=Under Donald Trump, drone strikes far exceed Obama's numbers|access-date=8 December 2021|date=8 May 2019|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=S. E. Cupp}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47480207|title=Trump revokes Obama rule on reporting drone strike deaths|work=BBC|access-date=8 December 2021|date=7 March 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://worldbeyondwar.org/u-s-drone-strikes-gone-432-since-trump-took-office/|title=U.S. Drone Strikes Have Gone Up 432% Since Trump Took Office|access-date=8 December 2021|author=Carey Wedler|work=World Beyond War|date=12 March 2017}} his successor Joe Biden reversed course. Under Biden, drone strikes reportedly decreased.{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-strikes-fall-under-biden-monitoring-group-says-2021-12|title=US military strikes fell 54% in Biden's first year compared to Trump's last, monitoring group says|access-date=22 January 2022|date=23 December 2021|work=Business Insider|last=Davis|first=Charles}}{{Cite web|url=https://theweek.com/foreign-policy/1007579/biden-nearly-ended-the-drone-war-and-nobody-noticed|title=Why U.S. Drone Strikes Are at an All-Time Low|access-date=8 December 2021|date=1 July 2021|author=Michael Hirsh|work=Foreign Policy}}{{Cite web|url=https://theweek.com/foreign-policy/1007579/biden-nearly-ended-the-drone-war-and-nobody-noticed|title=Biden nearly ended the drone war, and nobody noticed|access-date=8 December 2021|date=1 December 2021|author=Ryan Cooper|work=The Week}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/us/politics/biden-drones.html|title=Biden Secretly Limits Counterterrorism Drone Strikes Away From War Zones|access-date=8 December 2021|date=3 March 2021|work=The New York Times}} A Biden administration drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan in August 2021 killed 10 civilians, including seven children.{{cite news|last=Schmitt|first=Eric|title=No U.S. Troops Will Be Punished for Deadly Kabul Strike, Pentagon Chief Decides|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/13/us/politics/afghanistan-drone-strike.html|access-date=13 December 2021|work=The New York Times|date=13 December 2021}} Later, a drone strike killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.{{cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Cooper|first2=Helene|last3=Barnes|first3=Julian E.|last4=Schmitt|first4=Eric|date=1 August 2022|title=Live Updates: U.S. Drone Strike in Kabul Kills Top Qaeda Leader|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/01/us/al-qaeda-leader-killed|access-date=2 August 2022|issn=0362-4331}}

{{See also|Public opinion about the United States drone attacks|Civilian casualties from the United States drone strikes|PlayStation mentality}}

Scholarly opinions are mixed regarding the efficacy of drone strikes. Some studies support that decapitation strikes to kill a terrorist or insurgent group's leadership limits the capabilities of these groups in the future, while other studies refute this. Drone strikes are successful at suppressing militant behavior, though this response is in anticipation of a drone strike rather than as a result of one. Data from the US and Pakistan's joint counter-terrorism efforts show that militants cease communication and attack planning to avoid detection and targeting.{{cite journal|doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-050718-032725|doi-access=free|title=Do Emerging Military Technologies Matter for International Politics?|year=2020|last=Horowitz|first=Michael C.|journal=Annual Review of Political Science|volume=23|pages=385–400}}

Proponents of drone strikes assert that drone strikes are largely effective in targeting specific combatants.{{cite web|last=Byman|first=Daniel L.|date=17 June 2013|title=Why Drones Work: The Case for Washington's Weapon of Choice|url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-drones-work-the-case-for-washingtons-weapon-of-choice/|access-date=16 October 2022|website=Brookings}} 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. Military alternatives to drone strikes, such as raids and interrogations, can be extremely risky, time-consuming, and potentially ineffective. Relying on drone strikes does not come without risks as U.S. drone usage sets an international precedent on extraterritorial and extrajudicial killings.

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-isis-drones-20170928-story.html|title=Islamic State's deadly drone operation is faltering, but U.S. commanders see broader danger ahead|date=28 September 2017|first=W.J.|last=Hennigan|work=L.A. Times|access-date=16 October 2022}}

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.{{Cite news |date=2017-10-25 |title=Footage shows Islamic State drone blowing up stadium ammo dump |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-25/footage-shows-is-drone-attack-on-syrian-government-stadium/9085750 |access-date=2022-10-22}}

In 2017, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated at a Senate hearing that "We do know that terrorist organizations have an interest in using drones{{nbsp}}... We have seen that overseas already with some frequency. I think that the expectation is that it is coming here imminently."

Drone expert Brett Velicovich discussed the dangers of the Islamic State utilizing off-the-shelf drones to attack civilian targets, claiming in an interview with Fox News that it was only a matter of time before ISIS extremists use of drones to strike civilian targets would become more prevalent and sophisticated.{{cite web|last=Kopp|first=Jason|date=7 July 2017|title=Homeland Security concerned about commercial drones being used for 'nefarious purposes'|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/homeland-security-concerned-about-commercial-drones-being-used-for-nefarious-purposes|access-date=16 December 2020|website=Fox News}}

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.{{Cite web |last1=Archambault |first1=Emil |last2=Veilleux-Lepage |first2=Yannick |date=1 July 2020 |title=Drone imagery in Islamic State propaganda: flying like a state |url=https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/96/4/955/5813533 |website=International Affairs}}

File:Soldier with commercial drones.jpg commercial videography UAVs]]

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.

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.{{cite news |last1=Froelich |first1=Paula |title=Killer drone 'hunted down a human target' without being told to|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/killer-drone-hunted-down-a-human-target-without-being-told-to.amp|access-date=31 May 2021|publisher=Fox News |date=29 May 2021}}{{cite news |title=BM raporu: Dünyada ilk otonom drone saldırısını Türk yapımı İHA gerçekleştirdi |url=https://www.indyturk.com/node/366921/haber/bm-raporu-d%C3%BCnyada-ilk-otonom-drone-sald%C4%B1r%C4%B1s%C4%B1n%C4%B1-t%C3%BCrk-yap%C4%B1m%C4%B1-i%CC%87ha-ger%C3%A7ekle%C5%9Ftirdi|access-date=31 May 2021|work=The Independent|date=31 May 2021|language=tr}}{{cite news|last=Zitser|first=Joshua|title=A rogue killer drone 'hunted down' a human target without being instructed to, UN report says|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/killer-drone-hunted-down-human-target-without-being-told-un-2021-5?amp|access-date=31 May 2021|publisher=Business Insider|date=30 May 2021}}

In Mexico, Drug cartel drone operators are called "droneros" who are known to use bomb-dropping drones on enemy targets.{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/mexicos-drug-war-fought-with-drones-human-shields-gunships | title=Mexico's drug war fought with drones, human shields, gunships | website=PBS | date=25 November 2021 }}

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.

On 13 October 2022, a Ukrainian MiG-29 became the first manned plane to go down to a drone during combat. 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.{{cite news|date=14 October 2022|last=Kadam|first=Tanmay|title=Ukraine Confirms 1st Known Case Of Fighter Jet Going Down To A Kamikaze Drone; EurAsian Times' Assessment Hits Bulls Eye!|work=Eurasian Times|url=https://eurasiantimes.com/ukraine-confirms-1st-known-case-of-fighter-jet-going-down-to-a-kamikaze/|access-date=16 October 2022}}

Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, 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 is attempting 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 have 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.{{cite news |title=Inside Ukraine's secretive drone program |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/03/europe/ukraine-secretive-drone-program-russia-war-intl |work=CNN News |date=3 June 2023 |access-date=3 June 2023 }} One new model that has been successful is the "Baba Yaga" hexacopter, which can carry "44 pounds of payload".{{cite news |title=The mystifying "Baba Yaga" drones in Avdiivka are nightmare for Russians |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-mystifying-baba-yaga-drones-in-avdiivka-are-nightmare-for-russians/ar-AA1kfBw4 |access-date=29 February 2024 |date=20 November 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Harding |first1=Luke |title='We'll get there': the Ukrainian drone unit quietly knocking out Russian targets |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/12/ukraine-prepares-to-take-back-territory-from-russia-step-by-step-roman-kostenko |access-date=29 February 2024 |date=12 May 2023}}{{cite news |title=Ukraine's 'Baba Yaga' bombing drones: The transformative military tech pressuring Russian defense |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-s-baba-yaga-bombing-drones-the-transformative-military-tech-pressuring-russian-defense/ar-BB1hyelm |access-date=29 February 2024 |date=31 January 2024}}

Commercial UCAVs may be equipped with 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2227168-turkey-is-getting-military-drones-armed-with-machine-guns/|title=Turkey is getting military drones armed with machine guns|first=David|last=Hambling|website=New Scientist|date=12 December 2019|access-date=16 October 2022}} Drone attacks can be conducted by commercial UCAVs dropping bombs, firing a missile, or crashing into a target. Commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be weaponised by being loaded with dangerous explosives and then crashed into vulnerable targets or detonated above them. They can conduct aerial bombing by dropping hand grenades, mortar shell or other improvised explosive munitions directly above targets. Payloads could include explosives, shrapnel, chemical, radiological or biological hazards. Drones have been used extensively by both sides for recon and artillery spotting in the Russo-Ukraine War.{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraines-drone-spotters-on-front-lines-wage-new-kind-of-war-11659870805?mod=hp_lead_pos8|title=Ukraine's Drone Spotters on Front Lines Wage New Kind of War|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=7 August 2022}}

Anti-UAV systems are being developed by states to counter the threat of drone strikes.{{cite web|date=4 October 2019|title=The dark side of our drone future|url=https://thebulletin.org/2019/10/the-dark-side-of-our-drone-future/|access-date=16 October 2022|website=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists|last=Rogers|first=James}} This is, however, proving difficult. 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."{{cite news|last=Loeb|first=Josh|date=6 March 2017|title=Anti-drone technology to be test flown on UK base amid terror fears|magazine=Engineering and Technology|publisher=The Institution of Engineering and Technology|url=https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2017/03/anti-drone-technology-to-be-test-flown-on-uk-base-amid-terror-fears/|access-date=9 May 2017}}

File:Bayraktar TB2 at 2020 Victory Parade in Baku.jpg 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.{{cite news|date=15 October 2020|last1=Bulos|first1=Nabih|last2=Yam|first2=Marcus|title=A new weapon complicates an old war in Nagorno-Karabakh|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-10-15/drones-complicates-war-armenia-azerbaijan-nagorno-karabakh|access-date=16 October 2022|work=Los Angeles Times}} These UCAVs included Israeli IAI Harops and Turkish Bayraktar TB2s.{{cite news|title=Opinion {{!}} How an explosion of cheap armed drones is changing the nature of warfare|last=Roblin|first=Sébastien|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/cheap-drones-china-turkey-israel-are-fueling-conflicts-armenia-azerbaijan-ncna1243246|access-date=16 October 2022|website=NBC News|date=14 October 2020}} 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.{{cite news|title=Canada suspends exports of military drone technology to Turkey|last=Sevunts|first=Levon|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-turkey-drone-azerbaijan-armenia-1.5751266|access-date=16 October 2022}}

File:SBU Alpha.jpg operators alongside a multirotor FPV drone in the early 2020s]]

File:Ukrainian marine drones.jpg" naval drones in 2023]]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, both sides utilised drones in combat and for reconnaissance, and drones have played an important role in long-range bombing attacks and supporting ground assaults and offensives. Ukrainian forces have 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.{{Cite news |date=2022-10-17 |title=How are 'kamikaze' drones being used by Russia and Ukraine? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-62225830 |access-date=2022-10-20}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Russian army confirms use of Stupor anti-drone rifle in Ukraine {{!}} Defense News July 2022 Global Security army industry {{!}} Defense Security global news industry army year 2022 {{!}} Archive News year |url=https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_july_2022_global_security_army_industry/russian_army_confirms_use_of_stupor_anti-drone_rifle_in_ukraine.html |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=www.armyrecognition.com|date=6 July 2022 }}

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.{{Cite web |last=Niles |first=Russ |date=2022-10-20 |title=Video Shows Drone-On-Drone Battle |url=https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/video-shows-drone-on-drone-battle/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=AVweb |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Hambling |first=David |title=Ukraine Wins First Drone Vs. Drone Dogfight Against Russia, Opening A New Era Of Warfare (Updated) |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2022/10/14/ukraine-wins-first-drone-vs-drone-dogfight-against-russia-opening-a-new-era-of-warfare/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-10-18 |title=Video captures dogfight between two Mavic quadcopter drones in Ukraine - AeroTime |url=https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/32398-video-captures-dogfight-between-mavic-drones-in-ukraine |access-date=2022-12-13 |language=en-US}} 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.{{Cite web |last=McFadden |first=Christopher |date=2022-11-25 |title=Unmanned dogfight: Two drones have allegedly engaged in midair combat over Ukraine |url=https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/drone-on-drone-dogfight-ukraine |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=interestingengineering.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Malyasov |first=Dylan |title=Russian 'Z' drone shot down by Ukrainian unmanned aircraft in dogfight – Defence Blog |url=https://defence-blog.com/russian-z-drone-shot-down-by-ukrainian-unmanned-aircraft-in-dogfight/ |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=defence-blog.com |date=24 November 2022 |language=en-US}}

On 9 May 2023, a Russian conscript surrendered to (or rather via) a Ukrainian drone.{{Cite news |last1=Kalin |first1=Stephen |last2=Coles |first2=Isabel |date=2023-06-14 |title=The Russian Soldier Who Surrendered to a Ukrainian Drone |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-soldier-surrender-ukraine-drone-3860ab6a |access-date=2023-06-23 |issn=0099-9660}}

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.{{cite news |url= https://eurasiantimes.com/1st-evidence-germanys-much-touted-iris-t-defense-system-used/ |title= 1st Evidence! Germany's 'Much-Touted' IRIS-T Defense System Used By Ukraine 'Clashes' With Russian Missile |publisher=EurAsian Times| author= Sakshi Tiwari |date=20 October 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022}}{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/19/financial-toll-ukraine-downing-drones-vastly-exceeds-russia-costs |title= Financial toll on Ukraine of downing drones 'vastly exceeds Russian costs' |author= Daniel Boffey|work=The Guardian|date=19 October 2022 |access-date=21 October 2022}}

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.{{Cite news |title=How Elon Musk's satellites have saved Ukraine and changed warfare |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/01/05/how-elon-musks-satellites-have-saved-ukraine-and-changed-warfare |access-date=2023-06-06 |issn=0013-0613}}{{Cite web |last=Copp |first=Tara |date=2023-09-12 |title=Elon Musk blocking Starlink to stop Ukraine attack troubling for DoD |url=https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-military/2023/09/12/elon-musk-blocking-starlink-to-stop-ukraine-attack-troubling-for-dod/ |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=Defense News |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Marquardt |first1=Alex |date=13 October 2022 |title=Exclusive: Musk's SpaceX says it can no longer pay for critical satellite services in Ukraine, asks Pentagon to pick up the tab |newspaper=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/13/politics/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-ukraine/}}{{Cite news |last=Borger |first=Julian |date=2023-09-07 |title=Elon Musk ordered Starlink to be turned off during Ukraine offensive, book says |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/07/elon-musk-ordered-starlink-turned-off-ukraine-offensive-biography |access-date=2023-09-09 |issn=0261-3077}} The naval drones were at first assumed to be for reconnaissance, but appear to carry munitions and act as a bomb.{{Cite web |last=Gault |first=Matthew |date=2022-09-26 |title=Mysterious Sea Drone Surfaces in Crimea |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/mysterious-sea-drone-surfaces-in-crimea/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Vice |language=en}} 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. In late October 2022, seven of these drones were used to mount a successful drone attack on the Sevastopol Naval base.{{Cite web |last=Ozberk |first=Tayfun |date=2023-08-23 |title=Ukraine's new underwater drone Marichka breaks cover |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/08/ukraines-new-underwater-drone-marichka-breaks-cover/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=Naval News |language=en-US}}

In September 2023, Ukrainian troops were reportedly using cardboard drones with GoPro cameras for aerial reconnaissance.{{Cite web |last=Eckstein |first=Megan |date=2023-09-13 |title=Cardboard drone vendor retools software based on Ukraine war hacks |url=https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/09/13/cardboard-drone-vendor-retools-software-based-on-ukraine-war-hacks/ |access-date=2023-12-03 |website=Defense News |language=en}}

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 shot down Russian drones.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-28 |title=CWorld War I Tactics Make A Comeback As A Ukrainian Gunner In The Back Of A Propeller Plane Shoots Down A Russian Drone |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/04/28/world-war-i-tactics-make-a-comeback-as-a-ukrainian-gunner-in-the-back-of-a-propeller-plane-shoots-down-a-russian-drone/ |access-date=2022-07-12|author= David Axe|website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-04-28 |title=Ultralight Drone Hunting Planes Now In Use In Ukraine|url=https://www.twz.com/air/ultralight-drone-hunting-planes-now-in-use-in-ukraine|access-date=2024-07-12|author=THOMAS NEWDICK|website=TWZ |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Triffaux |title=Ukrainian Drone with Wooden Stick Neutralizes Modern Russian ZALA 421 UAV in Aerial Combat |url=https://armyrecognition.com/focus-analysis-conflicts/army/conflicts-in-the-world/russia-ukraine-war-2022/ukrainian-drone-with-wooden-stick-neutralizes-modern-russian-zala-421-uav-in-aerial-combat |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=armyrecognition.com |language=en-gb}} In 2024 drones controlled and powered through a tether with optical fiber became commonplace, thus avoiding radio jamming. {{Cite web |date=2025-01-09 |title=How Do Fiber Optic Drones Work? Everything You Need To Know |url=https://defensefeeds.com/analysis/how-do-fiber-optic-drones-work/ |access-date=2025-05-08 |language=en-US}}

On 31 July 2024, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by 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.{{Cite web |title= Ukraine just showed its low-cost, lightweight drones can destroy a Russian helicopter, Russian sources say |url= https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-low-cost-drone-destroy-russian-helicopter-mi8-donetsk-2024-8?amp |date=1 August 2024 |access-date=2024-08-01|author=

Matthew Loh |publisher= Business Insider}}{{Cite web |title= Media: Ukrainian drone downs Russian Mi-8 helicopter in first such attack |url= https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/07/31/media-ukrainian-drone-downs-russian-mi-8-helicopter-in-first-such-attack/ |date=1 August 2024 |access-date=2024-08-01|author=

YEVHENIIA MARTYNIUK| publisher= euromaidanpress }}

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.{{cite news |title=Russia strikes Ukraine's critical infrastructure in war's largest drone attack |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-kyiv-under-multi-wave-russian-drone-attacks-mayor-says-2024-11-25/ |work=Reuters |date=26 November 2024}}

On 8 February 2025, Russian authorities were reported to have 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.{{Cite web |work=TWZ|date=2025-02-08 |title= Explosive-Laden Goggles Sent To Russian FPV Drone Operators |url= https://www.yahoo.com/news/explosive-laden-goggles-sent-russian-204645466.html|author= Howard Altman |access-date=2025-02-08}} 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.{{Cite web |work=TWZ|date=2025-02-18|title= Explosive-Eight Russian UAV Operators Lose Sight After FPV Goggles Exploded Remotely |url= https://mil.in.ua/en/news/eight-russian-uav-operators-lose-sight-after-fpv-goggles-exploded-remotely/ |access-date=2025-02-19}}

On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched an invasion 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.{{cite news |last1=Achom |first1=Debanish |title=In Israel-Gaza War, Hamas' Off-The-Shelf Drones Destroy Million Dollar Hardware |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/in-israel-gaza-war-hamas-off-the-shelf-drones-destroy-million-dollar-hardware-4471329 |work=NDTV |date=11 October 2023|access-date=2 November 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Nicola |title=Hamas using Ukraine war tactics to ambush Israeli soldiers in Gaza |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/11/02/hamas-using-ukraine-war-tactics-ambush-soldiers-gaza/ |access-date=2 November 2023 |work=The Telegraph |date=2 November 2023}}

On 14 April 2024, Iran launched about 170 drones at Israel. This strike, codenamed "Operation True Promise", was carried out in response to Israel's bombing of the Iranian consular building in Damascus. The vast majority of the drones were shot down.{{Cite web |date=13 April 2024 |title=Israel says Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles, 99% of which were intercepted |url=https://apnews.com/article/strait-of-hormuz-vessel-33fcffde2d867380e98c89403776a8ac |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413093104/https://apnews.com/article/strait-of-hormuz-vessel-33fcffde2d867380e98c89403776a8ac |archive-date=13 April 2024 |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}

:Anti-drone systems using: electronic jamming and hi-jacking systems, directed-energy weapons (mainly laser), kinetic projectiles, netting, trained eagles etc.

• Counter unmanned air system (C-UAS)
• {{section link|Anti-aircraft warfare#AUDS}}
• Anti-drone mesh

;Electronic beam

• Directed-energy weapon, planned to also be used against drones
• Laser weapon: Anti-drone systems
• Silent Hunter (laser weapon), Chinese anti-drone laser weapon

;Electronic warfare (EW) - jamming & hi-jacking

• Bukovel (counter unmanned aircraft system), Ukrainian anti-drone electronic warfare system
• EDM4S (Electronic Drone Mitigation 4 - System), Lithuanian portable EW anti-drone device
• Malyuk assault rifle, Riff model: Ukrainian man-portable battery-powered anti-drone weapon
• R-330Zh Zhitel, Russian truck-mounted EW jamming communication station

;Kinetic systems

• Slinger (weapon system), Australian anti-drone system using an auto-cannon

;Large systems & manufacturers

• Drone Dome, Israeli anti-aircraft, including anti-drone system developed by Rafael ADS
• DronesVision, Taiwanese arms manufacturer, specialising in UAV and anti-UAV technologies
• Indrajaal Autonomous Drone Defence Dome, Indian AI anti-drone system
• ZALA Aero Group, Russian arms manufacturer, specialising in UAV and anti-UAV EW systems

;Other related topics

• PlayStation mentality
• Public opinion about US drone attacks
• Military robot
• The Nightmare of the Vultures, documentary TV series
• Unmanned surface vehicle
• Zanana
• Civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes

{{reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Drone strikes}}

Category:Aerial bombing

Category:Aerial warfare strategy

Category:Airstrikes

Category:Attacks by method

Category:Drone strikes

Category:Improvised weapons

Category:Targeting (warfare)