Drone – the next step in securing Africa’s maritime environment?

Tshegofatso Ramachela, a research associate at the University of Pretoria’s Ocean Regions Programme, advocates for the use of unmanned systems, specifically drones, to significantly enhance Africa's offshore security. During a conference at Waterkloof Air Force Base, Ramachela emphasized that drones can be operated with a low risk and high reward, and they are considerably cheaper than traditional maritime vessels such as ships and submarines.

Many African coastal and island nations face limitations in their offshore patrol capabilities and have insufficient air assets, making drones a more sensible choice for surveillance in potentially dangerous conditions.

However, deploying drones into Africa's defense capabilities and doctrine faces numerous challenges. Ramachela pointed out that drones cannot completely replace traditional maritime forces, but they can act as force multipliers. These challenges include technological limitations, financial constraints, such as the cost of training operators and license fees, and gaps in legislation and regulations.

Currently, the main suppliers of drones to Africa are the US, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Turkey. Nevertheless, several African-based companies, like South Africa’s Milkor and Denel, and a Moroccan tech start-up, also manufacture drones for maritime purposes.

So far, drones have primarily been used in Africa for data collection and combating maritime crimes, including piracy, maritime terrorism, and environmental monitoring. Countries such as Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Angola, and Seychelles are among those utilizing unmanned systems at sea. Seychelles, in particular, has been a leader in employing this technology, operating long-range surveillance drones equipped with artificial intelligence to monitor their extensive maritime area and combat illegal fishing.

As African countries strive to bolster their defense capabilities, the demand for drones with maritime applications is expected to grow significantly. This surge has turned Africa into a lucrative market attracting partnerships and investments from various stakeholders, both state and non-state actors. Despite these developments, Ramachela paints a promising picture of a future where Africa’s extensive territorial waters, spanning from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, and the Southern Ocean, will be patrolled and monitored by unmanned and semi-autonomous systems, creating a continental exclusive economic zone of approximately 30-million square kilometers. However, for now, Africa remains a consumer rather than a producer of drones.