First EU-India Roundtable in Delhi Addresses Terrorist Exploitation of Unmanned Aerial Systems

The day-long EU-India roundtable seeks to better understand the range of current and emerging threats particularly involved with consumer-grade UAS technology. Participants from the EU and India will also discuss best practices regarding regulatory, tactical and investigative responses to addressing UAS threats in both regions.

Commercial UAS has been developing rapidly in recent years, both in terms of technological sophistication and consumer availability. Violent extremists have exploited these inexpensive and adaptable consumer devices for different purposes, including reconnaissance and violent attacks.
This roundtable is part of a series of ongoing counterterrorism engagements between the EU and India, building on recent activities under the EU project Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia (ESIWA). In the field of counter-terrorism and preventing violent extremism (CT-PVE), activities have included successful chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risk management training for Indian security practitioners and moderated expert discussions on countering online extremism.

“Security and terrorist threats are increasingly of a hybrid nature. The use of commercial drones is a case in point. If a relatively cheap device can carry and fly a pizza or biryani, then clearly, they can also be used for carrying more nefarious payloads, such as weapons or explosives” EU Ambassador to India Hervé Delphin said. “Sharing knowledge and experiences between us, the EU and India, is highly relevant and crucial to counter drones threats that we each face, in this rapidly evolving field. This seminar testifies to EU and India’s general joint commitment to intensify dialogue and cooperation on security issues,” he added.

Seizing the opportunity to exploit these relatively inexpensive and adaptable devices, terrorist organisations and individual violent extremists across the world have deployed ‘off-the-shelf’ drones. The swift rise of this phenomenon and the evolving technologies involved mean that threat assessments and mitigation strategies are recent and ongoing. Sharing information with peers is therefore vital in forging a common response to ensure our security and defence. rewrite the article