In our monthly press review, we translate, analyze and summarize news from various European publications on the issues of drones. July 2018 saw increased proliferation as the US sold drones across the world, a theft of drone-documents which were sold on the darkweb, and more concerns raised over drone strikes and the algorithms behind them....
The first full scale model of a European Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone was revealed during a ceremony at the 2018 ILA Berlin Air Show. According to its developers, the primary mission of the drone will be intelligence gathering, surveillance. target acquisition and reconnaissance. However, the European Defence Agency also noted that de drone will be able to carry...
Members of the European Forum on Armed Drones (EFAD) and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are deeply concerned by the secretive provision of assistance by European States to the United States’ (US) lethal drone operations, particularly in light of a dramatic expansion in US drone strikes and reports that President Trump has dismantled already inadequate restrictions on use of force meant...
Thursday, 7th December at 17:00. Lila, via Finocchiaro Aprile 160, Catania. On Thursday, ECCHR will be hosting an event in Catania, Sicily, with Andreas Schüller and Chantal Meloni of ECCHR and Shahzad Akbar, of the Foundation for Fundamental Rights of Pakistan. The topic is the role of Italy, and of its military base Sigonella, in facilitating the drone strikes carried out by the...
On the 25th of September, Rete Italiana per il Disarmo, CILD and the ECCHR hosted a conference in Milan on ‘Armed drones in Italy and Europe: Problems and Perspectives Between military strategy, transparency issues and protection of fundamental human rights’. The conference brought together many academics, legal experts, and civil society groups from Europe and the United States to discuss...
The New York Times has reported that the Trump administration is set to dismantle Obama-era restrictions on drone strikes and ground raids outside traditional warzones (see story here). EFAD Member Reprieve has found that since Trump took office, at least 30 civilians have been killed in ground raids and drone strikes in Yemen, where the US is not formally at war. The...
On the 25th of September, Rete Italiana per il Disarmo, ECCHR and CILD will host a conference in Milan entitled: “Armed drones in Italy and Europe: Problems and Perspectives Between military strategy, transparency issues and protection of fundamental human rights.” CILD has more information on its website here. A number of experts from EFAD organizations will be speaking and present during the...
Earlier this month, 19 civil society organizations, including 9 members of the European Forum on Armed Drones, raised concerns about US-led initiative on the export and subsequent use of armed and strike-enabled aerial vehicles. The statement highlights several issues around the risks and limitations posed by the US’ Joint Declaration, most concerning about how these proposals may contain standards that are...