Has Iran Become the Master of its Drone Destiny?

In this episode of Iran Watch Listen, we sat down with Dan Gettinger and Adam Rawnsley, both experts on Iranian drones and drone technology. We discussed the current state of Iran’s capabilities, Iran’s growing ambitions to become a drone exporter, and whether tighter sanctions and export controls could hinder its progress. The conversation took place on September 15 and was hosted by John Caves, Senior Research Associate at the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, and John Krzyzaniak, a Research Associate at the Wisconsin Project.

Expert Bios

Dan Gettinger is the Director of Publications and Communications at the Vertical Flight Society. Before that he was the founder and co-director of the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College where he authored the Drone Databook. 

Adam Rawnsley is a reporter at Rolling Stone and a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. His work focuses on the intersection of technology and security, and he’s been doing in-depth investigations into Iranian drone proliferation for about a decade. 

Related Resources

• The Drone Databook, Dan Gettinger, Center for the Study of the Drone, 2019.
• Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles: Current Types, Ordnance and Operations, Dan Gettinger, 2021.
• “The Clues Hidden in the Drones that Attacked Saudi Arabia,” Adam Rawnsley, Daily Beast, 2019.
• “Inside the U.S.-Iran Drone War,” Adam Rawnsley, Daily Beast, 2019.
• “Remotely Piloted Vehicles in the Third World: A New Military Capability,” U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 1986.
• Evolution of UAVs Employed by Houthi Forces in Yemen, Conflict Armament Research, 2020.