Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) such as drones pose multiple risks, including privacy concerns, potential misuse, inexperienced operators, and safety issues like collisions and interference with other aircraft. When it comes to drones used by the Military Services, however, the stakes can be even higher because drones are routinely being used to drop weapons or act as delivery platforms for weapons.
While UAVs were first used on a large-scale basis during the Vietnam War, new models are cheap, sophisticated, and now a constant threat in contemporary warfare. The Russia-Ukraine war has shown us firsthand how drones have evolved: it is the first full-scale UAV war using autonomous and AI-enabled munition drones.
While AI-enabled UAVs have been used before, the war in Ukraine has accelerated the incorporation of this technology into military operations, with often catastrophic results. According to Brianna Rosen in her recent Just Security article, “This emerging technology poses even greater risks to civilians than the drone wars of the past. Unlike conventional drone warfare, which is vetted and controlled by human operators, the new drone wars will be more automated.”
In warfare, drones present both advantages and risks: they can be beneficial for surveillance purposes, but they also come with many potential hazards. For troops, the main danger of drones is a blown cover that can lead to the bombing of soldiers. In addition to soldier casualties, the potential for civilian deaths from imprecise targeting is also a huge concern. The risk of drones falling into the wrong hands and leading to misuse of the technology is also problematic. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Paul Lushenko, a General Andrew Jackson Goodpaster Scholar at Cornell, sums it up best: “Drones can aid, they can watch, and they can kill.”
Regardless of the risks and potential misuse, UAVs are here to stay. With drone technology not slowing down anytime soon, Flex Force created Dronebuster®, a tool that helps defeat both commercial and recreational drone threats by jamming their communication links and satellite navigation systems. Dronebuster® is an electronic system used by troops, security teams, and first responders, and is the only handheld electronic attack system authorized by the U.S. Department of Defense.
For more information on the Dronebuster®, contact us today.