Drones and Sovereignty: Who Controls the Sky?
The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown that control of the air no longer depends solely on aircraft, pilots or air defence systems. Small drones, many of them commercially derived and rapidly adapted for military use, now shape events on the ground every day. They identify targets, disrupt logistics, collect intelligence and force manoeuvre. Their impact extends far beyond their size, and their vulnerabilities reveal something larger. The question of who controls the sky has shifted from airframes and altitude to data, networks and decision systems.
For most of the last century, sovereignty in the air was defined by physical boundaries and the ability to defend them. Drones have changed this model. They are small enough to evade traditional detection, numerous enough to overwhelm legacy systems and dependent on digital infrastructure that is often distributed across borders. Their operation relies on navigationsignals, software updates, cloud services and communication pathways that may sit outside national oversight. Control of the sky therefore depends increasingly on control of the digital and industrial ecosystem that supports unmanned systems.
Recent conflicts also highlight how dependent drone capability is on global supply chains. Navigation modules, optical sensors, integrated circuits and communication components often originate in multiple countries. Firmware and flight-control algorithms may be developed elsewhere. This creates operational vulnerability. A drone that appears autonomous in flight may be reliant on external inputs that cannot be guaranteed during conflict or crisis. Sovereign air power now requires ensuring that critical elements of the ecosystem can function independently of foreign systems and contested infrastructure.
The same logic applies to the intelligence drones generate. Uncrewed systems act as high-volume sensors, collecting imagery, telemetry and patterns of behaviour. If that data flows through infrastructure outside national control, it introduces risk. Securing airspace now includes securing the data pathways that support unmanned operations. Processing, storing and analysing drone-derived intelligence within national networks is becoming central to air sovereignty.
Technological change is pushing this further. Advances in edge processing allow drones to interpret data and make tactical decisions without relying on continuous links to command. This improves resilience in contested environments, where communication denial has become routine. It also introduces new responsibilities. Nations must ensure that autonomous behaviours align with operational intent and can be audited. Sovereignty in this context means understanding and governing how uncrewed systems reason, not only how they fly.
Allied operations add another dimension. Uncrewed systems rarely operate in isolation. They rely on shared airspace, coordinated frequencies and interoperable data frameworks. Effective sovereignty within coalitions requires architectures that allow collaboration without compromising national control. This is the foundation of trusted autonomy initiatives across NATO and the UK’s Defence AI Strategy, which prioritise transparency, interoperability and assurance.
Control of the sky is now defined by architecture rather than altitude. It is determined by who builds and governs the systems that enable flight, navigation, sensing and interpretation. It is influenced by the resilience of supply chains, the integrity of data flows and the transparency of autonomous decision processes. Traditional airpower remains essential, but it is increasingly complemented and constrained by the digital foundations that support unmanned capability.
Modern sovereignty therefore extends beyond borders. It includes the ability to operate drones and counter drones using national infrastructure, national data and nationally governed decision systems. As uncrewed systems become more central to defence and security, this cognitive and digital dimension will play a larger role in determining who can truly claim control of the sky.