NDC Outlook 08-2025: Two to tango: Russian-Iranian drone cooperation, by Katie Fricke, Taylor Hankins and Victoria Jones1
Summary
- It is important for NATO to understand the drone warfare dynamics shaped by the Russia-Iran partnership. Analysing their innovations and integration into military doctrines is crucial for anticipating threats and developing countermeasures
- Iran and Russia are strengthening their partnership through collaboration on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) development and deployment.
- Iran’s drone programme presents a multifaceted challenge to NATO. The acquisition of Western technology through reverse engineering, coupled with Iran’s growing reputation as a drone supplier, enhances its military capabilities and global influence.
- Russia’s use of Iranian drones in Ukraine exposes vulnerabilities in NATO-provided defence systems and undermines eff orts to protect member states and partner countries. The proliferation of this technology to other state and non-state actors complicates NATO’s defence strategies.
NDC Public Affairs Office
- James Madison University – Intelligence Analysis Program.
The project was supervised by Dr. Giangiuseppe Pili, Assistant Professor, Intelligence Analysis Program, at James Madison University. ↩︎
NATO Defense College