To assess the potential effects to be expected from small and very small armed aircraft and missiles, including dangers to military stability and international security, as well as options for preventive arms control, the first precondition is reliable information about already existing systems and current trends in research and development. To minimise a contribution to the proliferation of these systems, only publicly available sources were investigated, i. e. the internet as well as publicly available databases and catalogues. Furthermore, where information is incomplete, no estimations based on the laws of physics or stemming from engineering expertise are given. Improvised or modified versions of UAVs or missiles, already in use by non-state actors, are left out for the same reason.
These databases are intended to support our work as well as the works of others to develop preventive-arms-control and non-proliferation measures.
As of February 2021 we have found 129 UAVs and 6 missiles. We plan to update the databases from time to time.
We use the following definitions:
| Aircraft |
Any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air other than the reactions of the air against the earth’s surface. (Annex 8 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation)
Note: Consequently cruise and other guided or unguided missiles count as (unmanned) aircraft, except ballistic missiles not using aerodynamic lift when travelling in the atmosphere.
|
| Unmanned aircraft |
Aircraft intended to be flown without a pilot on board. (UAS Toolkit of the International Civil Aviation Organization) |
| Armed aircraft |
Aircraft equipped with weapon of physical destruction or acting as such. |
| Small aircraft |
Aircraft with size (wing span, length and rotor diameter) up to about 2 m. |
| Very small aircraft |
Aircraft with size (wing span, length and rotor diameter) up to about 0.2 m. |
| Missile |
An unmanned, self-propelled aircraft delivering a weapon or acting as a weapon to physically damage a target. Its speed is high enough so that lift from the body is sufficient and no wings are required. Generally, a missile is guided using control surfaces. Propulsion is usually provided by a rocket engine.
Note: This does not comprise cruise missiles, as well as ballistic missiles for which a part of the trajectory is in outer space. |
| Small missile |
Missile with diameter below 0.07 m. |
| Very small missile |
Missile with diameter markedly below 0.04 m. |
The databases are in .html file format, the data itself can be extracted into .csv or .JSON file format by clicking on the CSV or JSON button. The databases can be found under the following links:
