New means and methods of war such as remote warfare by drones—the focus of this special issue—challenge international law, as there no longer exists agreement between states regarding the rules regulating the use of force. The existing legal norms are interpreted in widely diverging manners and seemingly put aside if not in the interest of the state in question. Yet, this article argues that, taking a closer look at the state practice of drone strikes beyond the paradigmatic case of the USA, the demise of international legal norms regulating the use of force seems overstated. Instead, the analysis reveals that the international laws addressing the use of force and means and methods of warfare are not as dead as the general discourse asserts, and can still serve to regulate state action.

新的战争手段和方法，例如无人机远程作战——本期特刊的焦点——挑战国际法，因为各国之间不再就规范使用武力的规则达成一致。现有的法律规范以广泛不同的方式被解释，如果不符合相关国家的利益，则似乎被搁置一旁。然而，本文认为，仔细研究超越美国典型案例的无人机袭击的国家实践，规范使用武力的国际法律规范的消亡似乎被夸大了。相反，分析表明，关于使用武力以及战争手段和方法的国际法并不像一般话语所声称的那样死气沉沉，仍然可以用来规范国家行为。