CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Steindl, Patrick |
|---|---|
| Title | Military Drone Innovation in the High North: A Comparative Analysis of Norway, Sweden, and Finland |
| Summary | The Russian war against Ukraine has shaped both the security architecture of the European Arctic and the perceived importance of unmanned systems in interstate warfare. However, these two discourses have barely been connected in the academic debate so far, presenting a research puzzle regarding this disconnect. This thesis aims to initiate a broader debate on the impact of military drones in the Arctic security dynamics by assessing the current military innovation process of unmanned systems in the High North. By using Mahnken’s military innovation framework, I assess the current drone innovation process in Norway, Sweden and Finland since February 2022. For the methodology, a mix of discourse and content analysis is applied. To assess the current drone innovation process, the research draws on official government documents, research papers, media sources and expert interviews. It finds that all three states are currently adapting their military forces to incorporate unmanned systems, however they remain within the experimentation stage of the military innovation process. Two main implications for the European Arctic emerge: while drones are well suited for Arctic warfare, technical limitations must be addressed to realise their full potential. This thesis contributes to understanding the current shifts in the Arctic security dynamics and offers a basis for further research on unmanned systems in the High North. |
| Supervisor | Csernatoni, Raluca |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/steindl_patrick.pdf |
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