Conceptual Framework for the Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems in the Protection of the State Border

Introduction. In today’s environment, the proper quality of state border protection cannot be achieved by increasing the number of border guard units. Technical and technological advantages play a decisive role in defeating a strong enemy. One of the ways to improve the capabilities of border guard units is to introduce unmanned aerial systems to protect and defend the state border.Problem Statement. In Ukraine, there is an urgent need to regulate the powers, grounds, and methods of using unmanned aircraft by the security and defense forces, as well as to improve enforceability of the procedure for its use.Purpose. To defi ne the conceptual framework for the use of unmanned aerial systems in the protection of the state border of Ukraine and the ways to improve the relevant regulatory framework of Ukraine.Material and Methods. General scholarly research and special methods have been employed, the main of whichare logical-semantic, system-structural, historical, observation, and comparison.Results. The history of implementation, problems and promising areas of use of unmanned aerial systems inthe protection of the state border have been studied. Attention has been drawn to the rapid development of unmanned technologies, which leads to their widespread use on the battlefi eld and in law enforcement. Emphasis has been placed on analyzing the negative trends in increasing number of violations related to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.Conclusions. The research has proved the need to improve the classifi cation of unmanned aerial vehicles, as defined by NATO standards and EU regulations, given the possibility and necessity of using the same-type unmanned aerial vehicles in the military, law enforcement, and civilian spheres. It is necessary to put into operation nationwide digital platforms for drone control, which can perform almost all tasks previously performed exclusively by manned aircraft.