Military Application of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles: In Quest of A New Legal Regime?

The Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) is commonly used for current military operations. There are three legal issues arising out of it, namely (i) legal status; (ii) immunity; and (iii) configuration and rule of the road. The international community has also witnessed the impact of the unregulated UUVs military operation. The article will examined these legal issues in the perspective of international and national law and States practice. To enrich the discussion, legal scholars and practitioners views on UUV will be included. The capability of UUV will also be discussed to increase the comprehension of its role in military operations. Based on existing regulations, either in the international or national law, UUV is not expressly regulated. Furthermore, numerous State react to and/or conduct military application of UUV differently. Hence, it can be suggested that in preventing more incidents, UUVs need to be regulated, either in new regulations or amendment to existing regulation. If it is not possible, states can be urged by the international community and other relevant stakeholders to adopt best standard or practice in their national regulation

The First Step in Regulating Autonomous Ships An Assessment on the Interim Guidelines for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships Trials and its Legal Significance in the International Regulatory Landscape

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), either remotely controlled or autonomous, offer new capabilities for, amongst other things, shipping operations. The integration of MASS within the existing international regulatory system, adopted on the understanding that ships are manned, poses several legal challenges. This thesis assesses whether the Interim Guidelines for MASS Trials, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), change the existing legal field in any way when it comes to States rights in conducting trials outside their territorial waters. The Guidelines are discussed in light of the LOSC and selected IMO instruments, hereunder the SOLAS, COLREGs, and STCW

A Tale of Two Sovereigns: Federal and State Use and Regulation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Despite claims to the contrary, the federal government is severely limited in what it can do to regulate unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). States, on the other hand, as governments of general jurisdiction, have expansive powers that they are already using to grapple with the questions posed by UAS related to privacy, crime, and public safety. This chapter outlines the evolution of federal measures, noting their limitations, before delving into three categories of state law, related to law enforcement, criminal measures, and regulatory regimes. The chapter then turns to the history of state sovereignty, looking at states’ jurisdiction over persons and land within their bounds, before turning to the limits of federal interstate commerce authorities. With river navigation and aviation serving as the forerunners of federal power, the chapter distinguishes the types of questions that accompany UAS, arguing that it is in relation to adjacent airspace and noneconomic activities where the federal government is at its weakest in any effort to regulate the states. Up to 500 ft above the ground, states have sovereignty, with authority over roads, land, and waterways. Within this domain, federal Commerce Clause powers only occupy a narrow area, leaving state police powers the dominant framework for UAS. The chapter concludes by highlighting the advantages of having states take the lead for UAS, focusing on the risk to rights of allowing the federal government to move into this realm and underscoring the importance in the role of the states as incubators of innovation

Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations on Air, Sea, Land

Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land is our fourth textbook in a series covering the world of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS). (Nichols R. K., 2018) (Nichols R. K., et al., 2019) (Nichols R. , et al., 2020)The authors have expanded their purview beyond UAS / CUAS systems. Our title shows our concern for growth and unique cyber security unmanned vehicle technology and operations for unmanned vehicles in all theaters: Air, Sea and Land – especially maritime cybersecurity and China proliferation issues. Topics include: Information Advances, Remote ID, and Extreme Persistence ISR; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles & How They Can Augment Mesonet Weather Tower Data Collection; Tour de Drones for the Discerning Palate; Underwater Autonomous Navigation & other UUV Advances; Autonomous Maritime Asymmetric Systems; UUV Integrated Autonomous Missions & Drone Management; Principles of Naval Architecture Applied to UUV’s; Unmanned Logistics Operating Safely and Efficiently Across Multiple Domains; Chinese Advances in Stealth UAV Penetration Path Planning in Combat Environment; UAS, the Fourth Amendment and Privacy; UV & Disinformation / Misinformation Channels; Chinese UAS Proliferation along New Silk Road Sea / Land Routes; Automaton, AI, Law, Ethics, Crossing the Machine – Human Barrier and Maritime Cybersecurity.Unmanned Vehicle Systems are an integral part of the US national critical infrastructure The authors have endeavored to bring a breadth and quality of information to the reader that is unparalleled in the unclassified sphere. Unmanned Vehicle (UV) Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land discusses state-of-the-art technology / issues facing U.S. UV system researchers / designers / manufacturers / testers. We trust our newest look at Unmanned Vehicles in Air, Sea, and Land will enrich our students and readers understanding of the purview of this wonderful technology we call UV.https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1035/thumbnail.jp

Policing: Monitoring, Investigating and Prosecuting ‘Drones’

The policing role is constantly changing and becoming more challenging, with the UK seeing reduced numbers and financial cuts. Going forward, it is likely that the police will become more involved in the policing of drones. This research looks at the governance of drones from a top down approach – international-regional-national. The legislative complexity is first reviewed before investigating the blurring of roles between Aviation Administration-Authorities and the police. Focus is given regionally to the EU and nationally to the UK with a comparison study of the USA. The research considers the developing remit of the police and who should police drones at a national level. The research finds that currently, the police are under-trained in this subject area and there is insufficient coordination with the national Aviation Authorities

Maritime Autonomous Vehicles within the International Law Framework to Enhance Maritime Security

Technological developments necessitate a review of long-standing and diverse international legal principles. The law of the sea is no exception in this regard where the introduction of different Maritime Autonomous Vehicles (MAVs) has prompted consideration of how the laws of naval warfare and rules governing the safety of international shipping accommodate these craft. This paper shifts the focus to the international laws relating to maritime security. It assesses how well the existing international legal framework for maritime security can account for the use of MAVs by law enforcement agencies and by non-state actors who are turning to MAVs for criminal purposes. To this end, it analyses the use of MAVs in relation to hot pursuit, the right of visit, drug-trafficking, terrorism, migrant smuggling and search and rescue. The increasing relevance of MAVs for surveillance, including for law enforcement purposes and maritime domain awareness, also demands consideration of MAVs under laws relating to intelligence gathering. At the moment, while we might have disruptive technology, there is not necessarily a call for disruptive law. The addition of MAVs in maritime space tends to highlight shortcomings that already exist within the international legal framework for maritime security