Technological Ambiguity in the Unmanned Age: Assessing Drones as a Factor of Miscalculation and Inadvertent Escalation

Drones are becoming more ubiquitous on the world stage. As drone use intensifies, states must contend with the increasing congestion of the operational environment. Such congestion, coupled with the emerging technological ambiguity surrounding drones and their capabilities,may present significant challenges to military decision makers by presenting novel opportunities for misinterpretation within theatres of operation.Technological ambiguity is considered here as a set of emergent trends within the unmanned domain: the multiplicity of drone applications; the blurring of lines between offensive and non-offensive drones; and the merging of technologies facilitating advanced multi-role capabilities. These trends are of growing concern as the sophistication and use of drones by many states rises and as rapid technological innovation leaves the capabilities and functions of drones open to multiple interpretations.