Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Lethal Combination?

This study analyzes the characteristics and capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to determine their capability to carry weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The author presents an overview of the various forms of WMD: chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. The objective is to review the characteristics of both UAVs and WMD to determine if they are capable of being used together as an effective weapon. The result indicates that there is great potential for the use of UAVs as delivery systems for WMD, particularly by developing nations and nonstate actors such as terrorist groups who may not have the technical capability to employ other means. The potential exists for the proliferation of both UAVs and WMD to become widespread and thus a major security concern. There is no clear solution to this problem; however, actions including bringing the issue to the forefront, strengthening export and arms controls, deterrence, and defense will have a synergistic effect that will help mitigate this threat.