Abilities of UAS, Historical Expansion and Integration Challenges into Civil Aviation

This chapter explicates the functioning capabilities of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as appertains to their use in war, historical development, recognition in treaties and the practice of States. It examines the contemporary and potential uses of UAS, emerging from their increase in the civil airspace. It further provides analyses of their use in environmental and agricultural monitoring, surveillance, and security operations; as well as an examination of their nexus with and impact on safety and security concerns. Other aspects that are covered include matters of privacy, security of users and civilians in general. The chapter closes with a discussion of efforts made to regulate the unmanned aircraft system, and the inherent challenges in integrating UAS into civil aviation.