Contemporary aerial material capabilities : the implications of drone use in multilateral peace operations

Abstract

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been used by nation-states for decades to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in addition to lethal operations; however, they have recently entered the humanitarian sphere by being incorporated in multilateral peace operations (MPOs). This thesis seeks to complement the growing body of literature on drones in the context of MPOs. Drawing from a theoretical framework that seeks to consider the potential human and societal benefits of UAVs, it will argue that drones can be effectively used to achieve some of the specific objectives of MPOs. This thesis will first situate its analysis in the historical generations of peacekeeping and aerial power, followed with a literature review and a case study of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). This thesis will conclude with a reflection on the next steps for the use of drones in MPOs.