Ulrike Franke writes on the threat from flying IEDs

Ulrike Franke has written an article for War On The Rocks (13 October) about the implications of the first known instance in which an explosive, booby-trapped drone was successfully used by a non-state actor against Western forces.

Ulrike writes, “The systems that are now appearing on the battlefields of Iraq and Syria have an endurance of a few hours, carry a maximum payload of a few kilograms, and are controlled by fighters in close proximity who struggle to identify their targets. Thus, at least in their current form, these booby-trapped drones should not be considered crude armed drones, but rather flying IEDs.”

She adds, “Flying IEDs are not a game changer, but they add a level of difficulty to military operations, and they have the potential of making life for deployed troops even more perilous.”

The full article can be read here: http://warontherocks.com/2016/10/flying-ieds-the-next-big-threat/