Armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), once the exclusive domain of superpowers, are rapidly spreading across Africa.
From Ethiopia’s Tigray region to Sudan’s urban battlefields and the Sahel, UAVs are completely changing the way wars are fought. Countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria are utilizing this technology in their counterterrorism efforts.
Turkey exports Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones, with prices ranging from $5 million to $50 million. African nations also use China’s Wing Loong and Iran’s Mohajer-6 drones for national defense purposes.
The African drone market was valued at $3.4 billion in 2024 and is expected to exceed $9 billion by 2030. Additionally, Nigeria is producing domestic drones through robotics companies like Terra Industries. These military developments provide African countries with a new means to defend themselves against external threats.
However, the uncontrolled use of these weapons has also resulted in civilian casualties. According to Drone Wars UK, at least 943 civilians were killed in 50 drone strikes across Africa between November 2021 and November 2024.
In the coming years, it is expected that African nations will make progress in this area and work to minimize civilian losses.