Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Unmanned Maritime Systems: Does the Increasing Use of Naval Weapon Systems Present a Challenge for IHL?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Dehumanization of Warfare

Abstract

The legal status of unmanned maritime systems is unsettled. Whereas this does not pose insurmountable problems in times of peace, it could prove as an obstacle to the use of unmanned maritime systems for the exercise of belligerent rights in times of international armed conflict. Nevertheless, unmanned maritime systems will qualify as means of warfare, if they are used for attack purposes. While they are not unlawful per se, even if semi-autonomous or autonomous, their use will have to be in compliance with targeting law.

W. Heintschel von Heinegg, Professor, Chair for Public Law, International Law, European Law and Foreign Constitutional Law, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    Concise Oxford English Dictionary (2011), p. 1462.

  2. 2.

    U.S. Department of Defense (FY 2013–2038), p. 8.

  3. 3.

    For example, the major UUV’s subsystems are: the pressure hull, the hydro-dynamic hull, ballasting, power and energy, electrical-power distribution, propulsion, navigation and positioning, obstacle avoidance, masts, maneuver control, communications, locator and emergency equipment, payloads. See National Defense Research Institute (2009), p. 46 et seq.

  4. 4.

    National Defense Research Institute (2009), p. 41 et seq.

  5. 5.

    U.S. Department of Defense (FY 2013–2038), p. 109.

  6. 6.

    U.S. Department of the Navy (2004), p. 16.

  7. 7.

    For a detailed description of those missions/tasks see National Defense Research Institute (2009), p. 13 et seq.

  8. 8.

    United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, 1833 UNTS 3, 397.

  9. 9.

    1962 Amendments to the 1952 Convention for Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 11 April 1962, Annex, Article 1(1), 600 UNTS 332.

  10. 10.

    International Convention for Prevention of Pollution from Ships of 1973, as amended by the 1978 Protocol of 17 February 1978, 1340 UNTS 61, 184.

  11. 11.

    Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

  12. 12.

    United Nations Convention on Conditions for Registration of Ships (not in force), Article 2(4).

  13. 13.

    U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps/U.S. Coast Guard, The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations (NWP 1-14M), paras. 2.3.4–2.3.6 (Edition July 2007).

  14. 14.

    NWP 1-14M (2007), para. 2.3.6.

  15. 15.

    Ibid.

  16. 16.

    Ibid., para. 2.5.

  17. 17.

    As defined in Rule 1 (t) AMW Manual.

  18. 18.

    See Rules 5, 88, 89 AMW Manual.

  19. 19.

    Sandoz et al. (1987), pp. 687 f., para. 2230.

  20. 20.

    San Remo Manual, para. 46; AMW Manual, Rules 30 to 39.

  21. 21.

    Article 57(1) AP I.

  22. 22.

    Article 57(2) lit. (a)(i) AP I; San Remo Manual, para. 46(b).

  23. 23.

    San Remo Manual, para. 46(a).

  24. 24.

    Article 57(2) lit. (a)(iii) AP I; San Remo Manual, para. 46(d).

  25. 25.

    Article 57(2) lit. (a)(ii) AP I; San Remo Manual, para. 46(c).

  26. 26.

    Article 57(2) lit. (c) AP I.

  27. 27.

    San Remo Manual, para. 7; AMW Manual, Rule 165.

  28. 28.

    San Remo Manual, paras. 14–16.

  29. 29.

    San Remo Manual, para. 34.

  30. 30.

    San Remo Manual, para. 36.

  31. 31.

    San Remo Manual, para. 28.

  32. 32.

    San Remo Manual, para. 29.

  33. 33.

    San Remo Manual, para. 19.

  34. 34.

    San Remo Manual, para. 33.

References

  • Concise Oxford English Dictionary (2011) 12th edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Doswald-Beck L (ed) (1995) San Remo manual on international law applicable to armed conflicts at sea and explanation. Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • National Defense Research Institute (RAND Corp.) (2009) A Survey of Missions for Unmanned Undersea Vehicles. Available at: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG808.pdf

  • Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research, Manual on International Law Applicable to Air and Missile Warfare (2009) [AMW Manual]

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandoz Y, Swinarski C, Zimmermann B (eds) (1987) Commentary on the additional protocols of 8 June 1977 to the Geneva conventions of 12 August 1949. Martinus Nijhoff, Leiden

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Defense, Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY 2013–2038

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of the Navy (2004) The Navy Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) Master Plan

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps/U.S. Coast Guard, The Commander’s Hand-book on the Law of Naval Operations (NWP 1-14M) (Edition July 2007)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair for Public Law, International Law, European Law and Foreign Constitutional Law, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Wolff Heintschel von Heinegg

Authors
  1. Wolff Heintschel von Heinegg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wolff Heintschel von Heinegg .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Wolff Heintschel von Heinegg

  2. Faculty of Law, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Robert Frau

  3. University of Passau , Passau, Germany

    Tassilo Singer

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Heintschel von Heinegg, W. (2018). Unmanned Maritime Systems: Does the Increasing Use of Naval Weapon Systems Present a Challenge for IHL?. In: Heintschel von Heinegg, W., Frau, R., Singer, T. (eds) Dehumanization of Warfare. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67266-3_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67266-3_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-67264-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67266-3

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation