Hamilton: Extraordinary video footage of an American drone intercepted by a Russian aircraft over the Black Sea earlier this week shows just how dangerous such incidents can prove outside of an actual war zone. A video released by the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, shows a Russian aircraft apparently spraying fuel on an American drone and then deliberately crashing into it. The location of the confrontation over the Black Sea Highlights: how easily this type of military confrontation can lead to “unexpected” war.
We have seen an increase in the incidence of such confrontations between the armies, navies and air forces in recent years. Earlier, in 2021, it was reported that Russian aircraft and two Coast Guard ships had intercepted a British warship near Crimea. Australia’s Defense Ministry said last year that a Chinese fighter jet harassed one of its military aircraft in international airspace over the South China Sea. The risk of these dangerous “games” causing more serious incidents is clear, but there are few rules in place to prevent them.
follow international law
Reckless attitude All forces must follow basic international law on security. Several provisions have been made in this law, but there is no treaty mandating their compliance. Not only this, only a few countries have voluntarily adopted this law. Furthermore, there is no precise definition of a “safe” speed or distance. New technologies—such as drones and other technology—add another level of irregular complexity. Missile Tests Few things are as terrifying as a missile approaching or passing over another country without consent or warning.
The threat of nuclear attack arose earlier also
Apart from some voluntary UN rules, the only other binding missile notification agreement is between Russia and China. China and the US do not share launch notification information directly, unlike other nuclear powers. Some countries, such as North Korea and Iran, also violate missile sanctions directly imposed on them by the United Nations Security Council. The military needs to practice war games and communication systems, but this practice becomes risky when the practice looks like an actual attack.
North Korea is a recent example, but there have been large-scale confrontations in the past that have raised the risk of nuclear attack. For example, in 1983, during a tense time of the Cold War, a misinterpretation of military intelligence led to the US applying the highest nuclear threat level. There is no international law in this regard, which can enable leaders to communicate directly, quickly and continuously.
(Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato)