Från fred till frontlinje : En förklaring till spaningsdrönarens spridning i två helt olika militära system

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines which innovation attributes explain diffusion of reconnaissance drones in two military contexts: Sweden and Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While research on military innovation is extensive, less is known about how innovations diffuse within armed forces across conditions of peace and war, in small and medium-sized states. Building on Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations, the study applies a most-different systems design to compare two cases that share drone diffusion but differ in security context, organizational structures and operational environment. Based on semi-structured elite interviews and document analysis, the study shows that relative advantage is the innovation attribute that consistently aligns with diffusion. Other attributes: compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability, do not determine whether diffusion occurs, but influence its speed, resource demands and degree of institutionalization. The findings refine and extend Rogers’ diffusion theory by showing that relative advantage may be sufficient for diffusion in military context.