A one-way attack drone revolution? Affordable mass precision in modern conflict

Abstract

When considering drones’ impact on modern conflict, strategic studies scholars typically focus on the most sophisticated systems in states’ arsenals: costly and hard-to-acquire military drones, which are necessarily few in number. This article questions this conventional emphasis, proposing in its place that easy-to-produce and cheap(er) one-way attack (OWA) drones hold underappreciated war-shaping potential. Through analysis of recent and ongoing conflicts, we argue that OWA drones’ complementary characteristics are yielding tactical gains and can, under certain circumstances, generate strategic effects when employed against an adversary’s homeland. The findings show a need for scholars to further study the implications of innovative low-tech developments in drones.