Drones, Force and Law: European Perspectives

The central argument in this Element is that the combination of a perceived radical change in the threat environment post 9/11, and the new capabilities afforded by the long silent reach of the drone, have put pressure on the previously accepted legal frameworks justifying the use of force. It focuses on the responses of the UK, France, and Germany to these developments in the context of the changing US approach to the use of force. The conclusion of the Element is that there is little likelihood that a new transatlantic consensus will develop around the use of force, including the use of drones, and that as a result Western governments can be expected to continue to use law to enable those uses of force they support whilst appealing to the same body of law to constrain those they oppose.