International Law Regulation Of Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Counter-terrorism Operations

In recent years,with the rapid development of science and technology,new types of weapons emerge in endlessly,and the basic principles and rules of international humanitarian law are constantly being tested and challenged.The representatives of these new weapons are armed UAVs.Whether the use of armed UAVs in war conforms to international humanitarian law has become a hot topic in the international community.After the "911" incident,the United States began to use more and more armed UAVs to purposefully eliminate terrorists in the subsequent anti-terrorism war.Nowadays,more and more countries and terrorist organizations are buying armed UAVs.This trend may lead to the abuse and uncontrolled use of armed UAVs.Existing studies have shown that the surveillance and precise strike capability of armed UAVs make them the preferred weapon in the anti-terrorism campaign of the United States.Although the U.S.government announced that the incidental damage rate caused by the use of armed UAVs was 3%-5%,non-governmental people believed that the incidental damage rate was 25%-40%.The former U.S.President Barack Obama delivered a speech on several issues related to armed drone attacks in National 2Defense University in 2013.He pointed out that the trend of discussion on the use of armed drones in various countries only focused on their legitimacy,while ignoring the important role of armed drones as military weapons in conventional battlefields.Armed UAVs can combine precise strikes with the reduction of civilian casualties and collateral damage and the protection of their own teams,so the principles of international humanitarian law are of vital importance in focusing on how to legitimately use armed UAVs.Armed UAV technology,like other weapon systems or precision guided munitions,seeks to maintain a balance between accuracy,distance and lethality.Similarly,as a weapon system,the autonomous strike system of armed unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)helps to establish an appropriate balance between military efficiency,civilian casualties and collateral damage.Although there are no clear treaties or customary norms on how to use armed UAVs,the four basic principles of international humanitarian law are applied to the use of armed UAVs in order to make them use legally to limit their ability to harm civilians.Current trends indicate that the U.S.Air Force has shifted its focus from piloted aircraft to buying more UAVs and training more UAV pilots.Other countries are also starting to develop armed UAVs.Some countries of them have already used armed UAVs,which indicates that armed UAVs have begun to spread.Britain has the highest import rate of UAVs among the countries that import the most UAVs.Non-state actors such as terrorist organizations are also participating in the UAV procurement competition.However,the world has not yet established a legal framework to regulate the use of armed UAVs,and make the use of armed UAVs apply to international humanitarian law.There is no international consensus either.Knowing clearly the application of international humanitarian law to armed UAVs can promote the establishment of international and domestic legal framework to regulate the future use of armed UAVs in anti-terrorism campaigns,thus contributing to enhancing global peace and security.This article is divided into the following parts,from the perspective of international humanitarian law,to discuss the use of armed drones in counter-terrorism operations related legal issues and the corresponding legal regulation.First is the introduction,the main content includes the relevant background and significance of this topic,domestic and foreign research status,research methods and related innovations.After entering the main body of the first part of the international humanitarian law legal rules of the concept is described,and then the use of armed drones for counter-terrorism operations related to international humanitarian law issues are explained.The second part is to analyze the legitimacy of the armed drone anti-terrorism operations from the perspective of the basic principles of international humanitarian law.The third part is also one of the main content of this article,namely,the legal regulation of international humanitarian law of armed drones.And the fourth part of this paper is another focus,that is,the legal regulation of armed drones in China and the legal response to the relevant recommendations.