Drones, Conflict and Diplomacy.

Although accelerating drone proliferation is emerging rapidly as a major global trend, especially concerning fundamentally political issues of war, conflict, peace and victory; the effects, consequences and implications of their use remains seriously under-researched, including in relation to diplomatic efforts to achieve major goals in conflict and post-conflict situations, where no substantial academic study exists so far. This is also despite diplomacy being routinely asserted as the mechanism that could ensure peace, and its increasing use in seminal conflicts such as Afghanistan and, with growing interrelationships, Yemen. Critically, extant studies demonstrate a lack of consensus, involving inconsistencies and inadequacies in addressing the distinctive, and for some the transformational or revolutionary, impact of drones as a technology. Thus, this research asks and responds to the critical question: How and why does the extant literature fail to provide and adequate, coherent and consistent basis for effectively analysing: the role, implications and ramifications of the distinctiveness of drones and drone use in contemporary conflicts, particularly in advancing conflict resolution or transformation? Indeed, whether through (non-coercive) diplomatic negotiation, (coercive) military victory or an admixture of these, and other factors. It does so by revealing drones' 'protean nature': the ability to carry multiple, diverse and incoherent meanings, which serves as a heuristic guiding literature analysis and empirical fieldwork. The latter draws upon uniquely extensive personal and professional contacts among key, 'under-represented' and 'unheard' constituencies, such as insurgents and diplomats, including Afghanistan and Yemen.