A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone in flight, an icon of the drone warfare era.

Drone Warfare Guide: History, Types, Defenses and What Comes Next

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Updated Oct. 14, 2026. Drone warfare has moved from a niche counterterrorism tool to the center of modern combat in little more than two decades. This guide explains how military drones developed, which types matter most today, how armies defend against them, what they cost, and the legal and policy debates now underway, with every figure attributed to its source.

Remains of a Shahed-136 one-way attack drone found in Kyiv region in August 2024.
Remains of a Shahed-136 drone in Kyiv region, Aug. 22, 2024. Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Contents

Key numbers

  • Ukraine’s output: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on July 15, 2026, that Ukraine now produces 10 million drones a year and aims for 20 million, RBC-Ukraine reported. Separately, Pentagon drone official Travis Metz told Reuters that Ukraine will make 6 million to 7 million small FPV attack drones in 2026, about 500,000 a month.
  • Russian long-range drones: Ukrainian Air Force data show Russia launched about 6,500 Shahed-type and other long-range drones in March 2026, and more than 1,000 got through, according to Reuters. The Institute for Science and International Security, which tracks those reports, counted a peak of 8,161 Shahed-type drones, decoys included, in May 2026.
  • Battlefield effect: A February 2025 RUSI study found tactical drones accounted for 60% to 70% of damaged and destroyed Russian systems, while 60% to 80% of Ukrainian FPVs failed to reach their targets. Trade outlet Army Technology reported estimates that drones cause 70% to 80% of daily combat losses on both sides. These are estimates, not official counts.
  • U.S. program: The Pentagon’s $1.1 billion Drone Dominance Program will have ordered just under 200,000 drones by February 2027, Reuters reported.

For running totals of the war in Ukraine, see The Boston Report’s War Stats page.

History timeline

  • 1910s to 1940s: Militaries experimented with radio-controlled aircraft and aerial torpedoes and used target drones to train gunners.
  • 1960s to 1980s: Reconnaissance drones flew over Vietnam, and Israel used small drones as decoys and spotters in Lebanon in 1982.
  • 1995 to 2001: The U.S. Predator began flying surveillance missions over the Balkans. After 9/11, armed Predators flew over Afghanistan.
  • 2000s to 2010s: The MQ-9 Reaper became the main U.S. armed drone for strikes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, and the strikes drew debate over civilian harm and secrecy.
  • 2020: In the Nagorno-Karabakh war, Azerbaijan used Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones and Israeli-made loitering munitions against Armenian armor and air defenses. Many analysts saw it as the first war that drones helped decide.
  • 2022 to 2026: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine turned drones into a mass-produced weapon. Cheap FPV quadcopters, Shahed-type attack drones, naval drones in the Black Sea and long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries all became routine. On June 1, 2025, Ukraine’s SBU said Operation Spider’s Web used 117 drones smuggled into Russia to hit 41 aircraft at air bases; U.S. officials later told Reuters that about 20 were hit and about 10 destroyed.
  • 2023 to 2026, Middle East: Yemen’s Houthis launched drones and missiles at shipping in the Red Sea from late 2023. On April 13, 2024, Iran launched about 170 drones plus cruise and ballistic missiles at Israel, and the Israeli military said 99% were intercepted, AP reported. Drones have also been used heavily in Gaza and Lebanon, and Israeli lasers shot down about 40 Hezbollah drones in late 2024, Israel’s Defense Ministry later said.
  • 2023 to 2026, Sudan: Both the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have used drones. In May 2025 the RSF began drone strikes on Port Sudan, hitting fuel depots and the port, Reuters reported. See our coverage of a drone shot down in Sudan’s Blue Nile state.
A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone in flight, an icon of the drone warfare era.
An MQ-9 Reaper in flight. Photo: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson, public domain.

Types of military drones

  • ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance): Small quadcopters and fixed-wing drones spot targets and direct artillery. In Ukraine they have made the front line very transparent, so troops find it hard to move or mass without being seen.
  • MALE and HALE: Medium-altitude and high-altitude long-endurance aircraft, such as the MQ-9 Reaper, Bayraktar TB2 and RQ-4 Global Hawk, fly for many hours. They work well where the enemy has weak air defenses but are vulnerable against modern ones.
  • Loitering munitions: These circle over an area and then dive onto a target. Examples include the U.S. Switchblade, Israel’s Harop and Russia’s Lancet.
  • FPV drones: Cheap racing-style quadcopters that a pilot flies through video goggles and crashes into a target while carrying an explosive. They are the most numerous strike weapon in Ukraine.
  • Fiber-optic FPV: These drones trail a thin cable instead of using a radio link, so they can’t be jammed. Both sides adopted them widely from 2024, though the cable limits range and can snag.
  • One-way attack drones: Long-range drones such as the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, which Russia builds as the Geran-2, fly hundreds of kilometers to hit cities, power plants and bases. Newer jet-powered versions fly faster.
  • Naval drones: Explosive-laden surface boats, such as Ukraine’s Magura and Sea Baby, have struck Russian warships and pushed much of the Black Sea Fleet away from Crimea. Underwater drones are also in development.
  • Ground drones: Uncrewed ground vehicles carry supplies, evacuate wounded soldiers and lay mines, cutting the risk to troops in the “kill zone” near the front.
  • Interceptor drones: Small, fast drones built to ram or explode near enemy drones, including Shaheds. Ukraine has scaled them up as a cheaper alternative to missiles.

Key drone systems

System Country Type Notable use
MQ-1 Predator / MQ-9 Reaper United States Armed MALE Counterterrorism strikes since 2001
Bayraktar TB2 Turkey Armed MALE Nagorno-Karabakh 2020; early Ukraine war
Harop Israel Loitering munition Used by Azerbaijan in 2020
Shahed-136 / Geran-2 Iran / Russia One-way attack Mass strikes on Ukrainian cities and power grid
Lancet Russia Loitering munition Strikes on Ukrainian artillery and vehicles
Switchblade United States Loitering munition Supplied to Ukraine
Magura V5 Ukraine Naval drone Attacks on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
FPV quadcopters (many makers) Ukraine / Russia Tactical strike Main frontline strike weapon since 2023

Counter-drone defenses

Armies now use layered defenses against drones:

  • Electronic warfare: Jammers cut a drone’s control or GPS signal. This is the most common defense against FPVs, and it’s why fiber-optic drones spread.
  • Interceptor drones and missiles: Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov set a goal in February 2026 of neutralizing 95% of Shaheds and other long-range drones. Air Force data compiled by the charity Come Back Alive put the interception rate at just over 85% that month, Reuters reported.
  • Guns: Mobile teams with machine guns and anti-aircraft cannons hunt Shaheds at night, and soldiers carry shotguns against FPVs.
  • Lasers: Israel’s Defense Ministry and Rafael delivered the first Iron Beam laser to the military on Dec. 28, 2025. The Israeli Air Force later said the system saw limited use in this year’s war with Iran because it needs more batteries to make a real difference, The Jerusalem Post reported.
  • Passive defenses: Nets over roads, hardened shelters and camouflage are now common on both sides of the front in Ukraine.
U.S. soldiers prepare FPV drones at Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany in February 2025.
U.S. soldiers prepare FPV drones at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Feb. 18, 2025. Photo: U.S. Army National Guard/Spc. Israel Fernandez, public domain.

AI, autonomy and swarms

Most combat drones are still flown by a human, but software is taking over more of the work. “Last-mile” target lock lets an FPV finish its attack even if jamming cuts the link, and AI-assisted navigation helps long-range drones fly without GPS. Swarms, in which many drones coordinate with little human input, remain mostly experimental. In August 2026, UN News cited unconfirmed reports that fully autonomous, AI-guided drones are now being used in combat. The main concern is how much human judgment stays in decisions to use lethal force.

Economics and the cost exchange

Drones have changed the math of war. A small FPV can cost a few hundred dollars and destroy a vehicle worth millions. Shaheds are far cheaper than the air-defense missiles often fired at them, which is why defenders are turning to guns, interceptor drones and lasers. Israeli officials have long pitched Iron Beam on this basis: an Arrow interceptor costs millions of shekels, while a laser shot costs very little. Analysts also stress the limits. RUSI warned in 2025 that NATO should not replace traditional firepower with drones, noting that Ukraine was still losing ground despite leading the world in drone use. The institute also said Russia had sharpened its counter-drone tactics and that drone operators are now a priority target.

U.S. drone policy

  • Replicator (2023 to 2025): The Pentagon aimed to field thousands of cheap autonomous systems by August 2025. By the deadline it had fielded hundreds, with thousands more on contract, DefenseScoop reported.
  • Executive order (June 6, 2025): President Trump signed “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” (Executive Order 14307). It directs agencies to favor U.S.-made drones and tells the Pentagon to buy low-cost American drones.
  • Hegseth memo (July 10, 2025): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rescinded earlier drone restrictions, gave commanders authority to buy and test drones, and ordered that every squad have low-cost, expendable drones by the end of 2026, Breaking Defense reported.
  • Drone Dominance Program: The Defense Innovation Unit’s program now requires American-made parts and will have ordered just under 200,000 drones by February, Reuters reported. Officials concede U.S. output is a fraction of Ukraine’s.

Law and ethics

International humanitarian law applies to drones like any other weapon: attacks must distinguish between combatants and civilians, be proportionate, and take feasible precautions. The debate centers on two issues. One is lethal autonomous weapons that pick and attack targets without a human decision. The other is long-range strikes on cities and energy infrastructure. On Dec. 1, 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on lethal autonomous weapons by 164 votes to 6, with 7 abstentions. The United States, Russia, Israel, Belarus, Burundi and North Korea voted no. Supporters want a binding treaty, while opponents argue existing law is enough and new rules could hamper legitimate defense. Diplomats under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons agreed on a set of elements in September 2026 for a possible instrument. They recommended that the treaty’s Seventh Review Conference, set for Nov. 16 to 20 in Geneva, decide the next steps. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Red Cross have urged states to start negotiating a legally binding agreement.

What comes next

  • Production at massive scale: Ukraine is targeting 20 million drones a year, and investigative reporting cited by ISIS says Russia plans about 60,000 long-range attack drones and 50,000 decoys in 2026.
  • Faster, jet-powered attack drones that are harder to shoot down.
  • More autonomy, as jamming pushes armies toward drones that can finish missions without a link.
  • Cheaper defenses: interceptor drones, lasers and AI-cued guns.
  • A key diplomatic test at the CCW Review Conference in November 2026.

Follow ongoing coverage on The Boston Report’s Warfare hub, including the latest Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy grid and Ukraine’s drone strikes on Yandex data centers.

FAQ

What is an FPV drone?

An FPV (first-person view) drone is a small quadcopter flown through a live video feed, usually with goggles. In war, it carries an explosive and crashes into its target.

What is a Shahed drone?

The Shahed-136 is an Iranian-designed, long-range one-way attack drone. Russia produces its own version, the Geran-2, and launches thousands a month at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian Air Force data.

How many drones does Ukraine make?

Zelenskyy said in July 2026 that Ukraine makes 10 million drones a year. A Pentagon official estimated 6 million to 7 million small FPV attack drones in 2026.

How do militaries stop drones?

They use jammers, interceptor drones, missiles, guns, lasers and physical barriers like nets, usually in layers.

Are autonomous killer drones legal?

No treaty specifically bans them. Any weapon must comply with international humanitarian law, and UN member states are debating whether to negotiate new rules.

Sources