The Drone Revolution: Violent Non-State Actors and the Global Proliferation of Armed Drones
While the U.S. has historically been a dominant force in drone development, this talk addresses the global proliferation of drones. Drones of all shapes and sizes have quickly dominated the use of force in the Russia-Ukraine War, and states like China, Iran, and Turkey are now supplying drones to states and violent non-state actors around the world. As such, this talk explains the rise of drones, their diffusion into the hands of violent non-state actors, and the emerging trends in technological development and use.
Bio: James Patton Rogers is the executive director of the Brooks Tech Policy Institute, the home of technology and national security policy research at Cornell University. An expert on international security policy, geopolitics, and disruptive technologies, he is regarded as “one of the world’s leading experts on drone warfare”, advising the United Nations, NATO, and national governments/militaries/NGOs/industry on the threats posed by the global proliferation of high-tech weapons systems. He is the author or editor of four books, the lastest of which is Drones: What Everyone Needs to Know (With Sarah Kreps, Oxford University Press, 2025).