The Turkish company Yavascalar (YAVEX) developed the Eagle Eye Anti Riot Drone,
which was promoted at Eurosatory 2016, Paris, France in June 2016. According to company
marketing materials, it has an effective operating range of 5km2 and a maximum operative
altitude of 3,000 feet. It weighs 5.4kg and can carry a payload of up to 5.5kg. It is fitted with
an RCA projectile delivery mechanism which can release nine Yavex CS smoke projectiles
which drop in free fall onto the target crowd below.363 According to MSI, the Turkish
Defence Review Magazine, Eagle Eye can be effective over an area of 700-800 square metres
with the projectiles it carries, depending on environmental conditions.364 The project has
currently been suspended following the acquisition of Yavascalar by the Turkish company,
Sarsilmaz.365
Certain “wide area” RCA delivery mechanisms may have utility in large scale public order
situations in extremely limited circumstances; however they could readily be misused for
collective ill treatment or punishment of crowds and their trade and use needs to be strictly
controlled. Other “wide area” RCA delivery mechanisms such as RCA artillery or mortar
shells and cluster munitions are inherently inappropriate for law enforcement. Research by
the Omega Research Foundation and Bradford University has uncovered the previous
manufacture and promotion of such weapons, including by companies in the Russian
Federation, Serbia and Turkey.366
7.3. Recommendations
CoE member States should stringently control the development, production,
stockpiling, import, export and other transfer of all riot control agents and
delivery mechanisms in their territories in accordance with the Chemical
Weapons Convention, and where applicable the Wassenaar Arrangement, the
EU Common Position and EC Regulation 1236/2005 . In addition all CoE
member States should ensure that RCAs and related delivery devices are not
transferred to any end users who will employ them for torture, ill-treatment or
other human rights violations.
CoE member States should ensure that all use of RCAs and associated delivery
mechanisms by law enforcement and prison officers is in accordance with
regional and international human rights standards. RCA grenades, launched
cartridges and any mass dissemination of RCAs (e.g. via large backpack or riot
sprayers) should be prohibited in confined spaces. Targeted use of RCAs (e.g. via
hand-held spray) should only be resorted to when strictly necessary, be
proportionate and for the shortest possible time using the minimum amount of
RCA necessary to reduce the level of violence and to re-establish control.
CoE member States should determine which if any “wide-area” RCA delivery
mechanisms may be justifiable for use in extreme large-scale law enforcement
situations. The use of any such permissible devices must be in strict conformity
363
Yavascalar (YAVEX) Product Catalogue, undated, distributed at Eurosatory 2016, pp.48-49. (Copy held by
the Omega Research Foundation).
364
MSI Turkish Defence Review Magazine, Number 26, August 2016.
365
Correspondence from Sarsilmaz Patlayici to the Omega Research Foundation, 14 December 2017.
366
Crowley M. (December 2016) op.cit.; Crowley, M. (April 2013) op.cit.
67
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