Globalization and WMD Proliferation Networks: The Case of Unmanned Air Vehicles as Terrorist Weapons
Abstract
To examine the possible use of UAVs or cruise missiles as terrorist weapons, this article approaches the subject from two principal angles: motivations and capabilities. To be sure, possession of the requisite 'knowledge and skills,' together with easy opportunities to procure all the component parts, represents a necessary, but not sufficient, condition of this examination. All too frequently, proliferation questions are addressed from the standpoint of raw technological determinism. A more complex web of planning motivations and technological factors inform whether or not terrorists will successfully pursue the use of UAVs or cruise missiles to achieve their objectives. After considering motivations, the article turns to capabilities by examining two possible and relevant scenarios of terrorist use of UAVs or cruise missiles: conversion of an anti-ship cruise missile for launching from an off-shore freighter, and transformation of a simple airplane into and unmanned means of achieving mass casualties. The article concludes with a consideration of international responses, both military and non-military, to the challenges identified.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA521376
Entities
People
- Dennis M. Gormley
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School