Sovereign Immunity of Uncrewed Surveillance Vehicles and the Limits of Enforcement Jurisdiction

Abstract

Abstract States have long trespassed on the territory of other States to carry out surveillance. However, new technologies are changing the stakes of these incursions: uncrewed aerial vehicles (uav s) and uncrewed maritime vehicles (umv s) used for surveillance can trespass in on foreign territory without risk to their operators. In addition, States appear to be more willing to capture or destroy trespassing uncrewed vehicles. This paper assesses whether these developments suggest there is a basis to denying trespassing uncrewed devices sovereign immunity from the enforcement jurisdiction of territorial States. It argues that while uncrewed devices (like other forms of military property used for non-commercial purposes) are entitled to sovereign immunity, they can lose that immunity through their conduct, including by trespassing on the territory of another State. This allows for the territorial State to exercise enforcement jurisdiction, including the use of force, over the uav or umv.