What is the primary focus of this conference?

The conference focuses on the security aspects of unmanned robotic systems within the aerospace domain.

Will there be opportunities for international collaboration at the event?

Yes, the conference aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among participants from various countries, especially given its international format.

International Conference on Unmanned Robotic Systems for Aerospace Security

Name: International Conference on Unmanned Robotic Systems for Aerospace Security
Start: 2026-09-26T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-09-27T00:00:00Z
Location: Seoul

Sep 26–27, 2026Seoul, South KoreaIn-person

Starts in 3 daysRegistration open

The International Conference on Unmanned Robotic Systems for Aerospace Security, held in Seoul, KOR, focuses on the critical intersection of unmanned systems and aerospace security. This event serves as a platform for researchers, engineers, and policymakers to discuss advancements and challenges in securing airspace against evolving threats posed by robotic technologies. Participants will explore topics ranging from the development of secure autonomous systems to the regulatory frameworks necessary for their safe integration into aerospace operations. The conference aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange, contributing to the global effort to enhance aerospace security in an era of rapid technological innovation.

Committees & topics

Topics
Governance of Military and Dual-Use Robotics · Security and Governance of the Aerospace Domain · International Cybersecurity and Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace · Regulation of Unmanned and Autonomous Systems · Robotic Systems in the Aerospace Environment · Cybersecurity of Robotic and Autonomous Systems · Counter-Drone and Robotic Defense Mechanisms · Resilience and Safety Standards for Autonomous Robotic Systems

Why it matters

The proliferation of unmanned robotic systems presents both immense opportunities and significant security challenges for aerospace. As these technologies become more sophisticated and accessible, the potential for misuse, accidental failures, and malicious attacks on aerospace infrastructure grows. This conference directly addresses these concerns by bringing together experts to deliberate on robust security measures and ethical considerations.

Ensuring the security of aerospace systems is vital for national defense, economic stability, and public safety. The discussions and research presented at this event will inform the development of next-generation security protocols, advanced detection systems, and resilient aerospace architectures. By focusing on proactive solutions, the conference contributes to mitigating risks associated with unmanned systems, thereby safeguarding critical assets and maintaining peace of mind in an increasingly complex global environment.

Furthermore, the insights generated here can influence international standards and cooperation, which are essential for managing cross-border aerospace security threats. The collective expertise gathered in Seoul, KOR, will play a crucial role in shaping the future of secure aerospace operations worldwide.

How to prepare

Delegates preparing for this conference should focus on understanding the dual-use nature of unmanned robotic systems and the inherent tension between technological advancement and security imperatives. A strong grasp of current international regulations, or the lack thereof, regarding autonomous aerospace systems will be beneficial. Consider how different nations approach the development and deployment of these technologies, and the varying perspectives on their integration into civilian and military airspace.

To maximize engagement, participants should research recent breakthroughs in secure communication for unmanned systems, artificial intelligence in threat detection, and counter-drone technologies. Preparing questions that delve into the ethical implications of autonomous decision-making in security contexts, as well as the challenges of interoperability between diverse national systems, will facilitate more profound discussions. Reflect on the potential for international collaboration in establishing common security standards and protocols for these rapidly evolving technologies. Understanding the concept of "hidden stakeholders" (see: /learn/lessons/hidden-stakeholders) in the aerospace security domain, such as private sector innovators and non-state actors, can also provide a richer context for the discussions.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

South Korea

A key player in advanced robotics and aerospace technology, KOR is highly invested in securing its airspace and critical infrastructure from evolving threats posed by unmanned systems.

Role in topic

As the host nation, KOR is at the forefront of developing and integrating advanced robotic systems, including for defense and security. Its focus will likely be on showcasing domestic technological advancements and fostering international collaboration on aerospace security standards and counter-drone measures. The nation's strategic location in Asia also positions it as a critical voice in regional aerospace security dialogues.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Governance of Military and Dual-Use Robotics

Robotics has evolved from industrial automation in the mid-20th century into a strategic technology with applications spanning manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and defense. The proliferation of autonomous ground, maritime, and aerial robots has accelerated since the early 2000s, driven by advances in sensors, machine learning, and miniaturized computing. States increasingly view robotics as a pillar of national competitiveness and military modernization, blurring the line between civilian and dual-use systems. International governance has struggled to keep pace. Discussions at the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems have continued since 2014 without producing binding rules, with major powers resisting prohibitions that would constrain their development pipelines. Meanwhile, export controls under regimes such as the Wassenaar Arrangement have been updated to cover some robotic and AI-related items, but enforcement remains uneven. The core dispute today concerns how to balance innovation, economic competitiveness, and ethical limits — particularly regarding meaningful human control over autonomous decision-making. States diverge sharply on whether soft-law principles or a binding treaty should anchor the regime.

Key players

Security and Governance of the Aerospace Domain

The aerospace domain encompasses both atmospheric aviation and outer space, two regimes historically governed by separate but overlapping legal frameworks. The Chicago Convention of 1944 established sovereignty over national airspace and created ICAO, while the 1967 Outer Space Treaty enshrined the peaceful use of space, non-appropriation of celestial bodies, and state responsibility for national activities. Cold War rivalry drove the initial militarization of both layers, with reconnaissance aircraft and satellites becoming central to strategic stability. Since the 2000s, the aerospace environment has become more crowded and contested. Commercial mega-constellations, hypersonic vehicles, anti-satellite weapons tests by multiple powers, and the rise of small uncrewed aircraft have stressed legacy rules. Russia's 2021 ASAT test and ongoing debris generation have intensified concerns about sustainability of low Earth orbit, while the war in Ukraine has demonstrated the operational value of commercial space services in conflict. Today's debates focus on traffic management for both airspace and orbit, norms of responsible behavior in space, protection of critical aerospace infrastructure, and the legal status of dual-use commercial assets in wartime. Consensus remains elusive across the UN COPUOS, the CD, and ICAO.

Key players

International Cybersecurity and Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace

Cybersecurity emerged as an international issue in the 1990s as critical infrastructure became dependent on networked information systems. Early incidents — from the 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia to Stuxnet in 2010 — demonstrated that digital operations could produce strategic and physical effects. Since then, ransomware campaigns, supply-chain compromises such as SolarWinds, and state-linked intrusions into energy, health, and electoral systems have made cyberspace a persistent domain of conflict and competition. The UN has pursued parallel tracks through the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) and the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG), which have affirmed that international law applies in cyberspace and endorsed eleven voluntary norms of responsible state behavior. Yet attribution remains contested, and major powers disagree on whether a new binding treaty is needed or whether existing frameworks suffice. Regional efforts including the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime have widened but lack universal participation. Current disputes center on the protection of critical infrastructure, the legality of offensive cyber operations below the threshold of armed conflict, sovereignty over data, and the role of private cybersecurity firms in attribution and response.

Key players

Regulation of Unmanned and Autonomous Systems

Unmanned systems — aerial, ground, surface, and underwater — have transitioned from niche reconnaissance tools to mainstream instruments of commerce, policing, and warfare. The U.S. Predator program in the 1990s normalized armed UAVs; since then, Turkey, Israel, China, and Iran have become major exporters, while low-cost commercial drones have been weaponized by both states and non-state actors, most visibly in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Red Sea. The regulatory landscape is fragmented. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) constrains some large UAV transfers, while ICAO has worked on integrating remotely piloted aircraft into civil airspace. CCW discussions on lethal autonomy have produced a chair's text but no treaty, and counter-drone measures raise questions about overflight, sovereignty, and proportionality. Maritime unmanned systems remain especially under-regulated under UNCLOS. Key questions before the international community include export controls on dual-use platforms, standards for meaningful human control, accountability for autonomous strikes, and the integration of unmanned traffic into national and international airspace and waterways.

Key players

Robotic Systems in the Aerospace Environment

Robotics in aerospace spans on-orbit servicing, debris remediation, planetary exploration, and uncrewed atmospheric flight. Robotic arms on the Space Shuttle and ISS, Mars rovers from Sojourner through Perseverance, and the rise of rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) satellites have made robotics central to civil and military space activity. In the atmosphere, robotic systems underpin air traffic automation, autonomous cargo flight, and high-altitude pseudo-satellites. Dual-use concerns have grown sharply. RPO capabilities that enable refueling and repair can also enable inspection, grappling, or disabling of adversary satellites — a capability demonstrated by multiple states' experimental missions. Regulation under the Outer Space Treaty, the Registration Convention, and Liability Convention does not specifically address robotic proximity operations, debris removal liability, or autonomous decision-making in orbit. UN COPUOS Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines provide voluntary best practices but lack enforcement. Delegates must weigh how to encourage beneficial robotic aerospace activity — particularly active debris removal and servicing — while preventing escalation in an increasingly contested orbital regime.

Key players

Cybersecurity of Robotic and Autonomous Systems

As robotic systems become networked, software-defined, and AI-driven, they have emerged as high-value cyber targets. Demonstrated vulnerabilities include the 2011 RQ-170 incident in Iran, GPS spoofing of maritime and aerial platforms, and academic research showing that industrial robots, surgical robots, and connected vehicles can be hijacked remotely. Compromise of a robotic platform can translate digital intrusion directly into kinetic harm, blurring traditional distinctions between cyber and physical security. Existing frameworks address pieces of the problem: ICAO and EASA cover aviation cybersecurity, IMO Resolution MSC.428(98) addresses maritime cyber risk, and the EU's NIS2 and Cyber Resilience Act impose obligations on connected products. However, no integrated international regime addresses the cybersecurity of autonomous platforms — including questions of secure-by-design standards, software supply chains, over-the-air updates in conflict zones, and adversarial machine learning. Debate centers on minimum security standards for exported robotic systems, certification regimes, and how international humanitarian law applies when a cyberattack causes an autonomous system to behave unpredictably.

Key players

Counter-Drone and Robotic Defense Mechanisms

The rapid proliferation of low-cost drones has made counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) a top defense priority for states and international organizations. Incidents at Gatwick Airport in 2018, the 2019 Abqaiq attack on Saudi oil facilities, and the sustained use of one-way attack drones in Ukraine and the Red Sea have demonstrated that even modest unmanned threats can disrupt critical infrastructure and military operations. In response, states have invested heavily in kinetic interceptors, directed-energy weapons, electronic warfare, and AI-enabled detection systems. The legal and operational picture is complex. Counter-drone systems can interfere with civil aviation, telecommunications, and GNSS signals, raising questions under ICAO and ITU rules. The use of autonomous defensive systems against autonomous attackers also raises issues under international humanitarian law, particularly distinction and proportionality. Export controls on C-UAS technology remain underdeveloped, even as demand surges from states and private operators of critical infrastructure. Key questions include rules of engagement for autonomous defenses, protection of civilian airspace, deconfliction in coalition operations, and norms preventing escalation when defensive systems engage cross-border threats.

Key players

Resilience and Safety Standards for Autonomous Robotic Systems

As robotic systems are deployed in safety-critical roles — from surgical theaters to nuclear inspection to aviation — ensuring their resilience, predictability, and safe failure modes has become an international priority. ISO standards such as ISO 10218 (industrial robots), ISO 13482 (personal care robots), and the emerging ISO/IEC 22989 and 23053 for AI provide a foundation, while ICAO, IMO, and IAEA have developed sector-specific safety regimes. Yet integration of autonomy and machine learning challenges traditional certification, which assumes deterministic behavior. High-profile failures — including autonomous vehicle fatalities, the 737 MAX MCAS accidents, and incidents involving warehouse and medical robots — have underscored the consequences of inadequate testing, opaque decision logic, and weak human-machine interfaces. The EU AI Act, adopted in 2024, imposes risk-based obligations on high-risk AI systems including many robotic applications, while other jurisdictions pursue lighter-touch approaches, raising concerns about regulatory fragmentation. The international debate focuses on harmonizing safety certification for learning-enabled systems, mandatory incident reporting, resilience against adversarial inputs and environmental edge cases, and the role of human oversight in life-critical robotic operations.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Unmanned Robotic Systems for Aerospace Security.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

India, South Korea Forge Five-Year Plan

Delhi HC Appoints Counsel for Kejriwal, Sisod

India Naval Edge: Three Ships Commissioned

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Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

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Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

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International Conference on Unmanned Robotic Systems for Aerospace Security

Sep 26–27, 2026Seoul, South KoreaIn-person

Starts in 3 daysRegistration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Governance of Military and Dual-Use Robotics · Security and Governance of the Aerospace Domain · International Cybersecurity and Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace · Regulation of Unmanned and Autonomous Systems · Robotic Systems in the Aerospace Environment · Cybersecurity of Robotic and Autonomous Systems · Counter-Drone and Robotic Defense Mechanisms · Resilience and Safety Standards for Autonomous Robotic Systems

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

South Korea

A key player in advanced robotics and aerospace technology, KOR is highly invested in securing its airspace and critical infrastructure from evolving threats posed by unmanned systems.

Role in topic

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Governance of Military and Dual-Use Robotics

Key players

Security and Governance of the Aerospace Domain

Key players

International Cybersecurity and Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace

Key players

Regulation of Unmanned and Autonomous Systems

Key players

Robotic Systems in the Aerospace Environment

Key players

Cybersecurity of Robotic and Autonomous Systems

Key players

Counter-Drone and Robotic Defense Mechanisms

Key players

Resilience and Safety Standards for Autonomous Robotic Systems

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Unmanned Robotic Systems for Aerospace Security.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

India, South Korea Forge Five-Year Plan

Delhi HC Appoints Counsel for Kejriwal, Sisod

India Naval Edge: Three Ships Commissioned

Frederick Douglass Bridge Protest Disrupts DC

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

South Korea September 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

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Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

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