The impact of drones on modern warfare
Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), aka military drone, has become the defining weapon of post-9/11 conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. Twenty years after their first use in an armed capacity on October 7th 2001, combat drones continue to be perceived as ‘low-risk’ or indeed ‘cost-free’, because their operators are able to conduct attacks with less immediate risk to themselves.
The prospect of low-risk military intervention with drones is strategically attractive to military commanders and policy makers around the world; at the same time, many contend that the highly asymmetric nature of drone warfare is quickly becoming reduced as over 100 state actors and 60+ non-state actors now have military drones.
The purpose of the course is to equip you with the necessary historical, conceptual, and empirical framework to allow for engagement with the technological, operational, and strategic issues associated with emerging forms of remote control and automated weapons technologies.
What do you achieve on the course?
You will achieve the ability to
- identify and explain key aspects of the drone debate.
- identify key strategic issues related to military drone deployment.
- analyze the potential advantages and disadvantages of military drones in realistic contemporary scenarios.
Who is the course aimed at?
The course is for you who, for example, work with cyber security, intelligence analysis, resilience, threat and risk assessments and future analysis.
Why consider this course?
At SDU, you have the opportunity to follow one or more courses from our professional master's programmes. This course is part of Master in Intelligence and Cyber Studies (MICS).
On the course, there will be both fellow students who take a full professional master's programme and some who only take this course. You will thus have the opportunity to exchange experiences as well as network with like-minded professionals.
Advantages:
- You get exactly the tools and theories you may need for your work
- A good alternative to an entire professional master's programme
A passed exam gives you ECTS credits that you may be able to transfer if you later want to start a master's programme.
Entry requirements and application
You must fulfill the entry requirements of Master in Intelligence and Cyber Studies.
The application period is from mid-September to and including 1 December.
You apply for the course on the programme's website.
If you have questions about the course, please feel free to contact the study secretariat.
After the application deadline, you are also welcome to contact us regarding potentially available places.