ISIS Is Using Exploding Consumer Drones To Kill Enemy Fighters (theverge.com)

According to The New York Times, the Islamic State is using small consumer drones rigged with explosions to fight Kurdish forces in Iraq. As a result, American commanders in Iraq have issued a warning to forces fighting ISIS to treat any type of small flying aircraft as potential explosive devices. The Verge reports: The small, commercially available drone was shot down in Northern Iraq and taken back to an outpost, the Times writes. But during disassembly, the drone exploded, killing the two fighters. Le Monde reports that two members of French forces were also injured by the explosion. The technique used by ISIS in the attack may have been a simple one -- ultimately only combining two widely available pieces of tech -- but videos available online have purportedly shown other recent instances of drones used as explosives, suggesting the move may be one we see more of in the future.

Comments

Re:Payload?

[drinkypoo]

I've never owned, much less flown a drone. But I get the impression they just might be able to carry 2 lbs payload.

A sub-$200 homebuilt 450-size quadcopter which weighs ~700g using a 4S battery pack can have a takeoff weight of around 2 kilos. So you could carry a bit more than a 2lb payload, but not much. However, the price/performance ratio as a terror weapon is staggering. I built my SK450 for $120 including the radio. We're talking about a GPS-guided delivery system for around a hundred dollars each, since you can reuse one TX over and over. The six channel RX is only ten bucks. The radio is forty. Or if you get fancy, you might spend eighty. IF you spend more than $13 on the frame, you can get the weight down quite a bit.

Not seeing how that can do much damage, out side of the fear factor.

The fear factor is the whole point of terrorism. This is a cheap and relatively non-traceable means of carrying it out, which is why I'm always surprised it isn't happening a lot more. Glad, but surprised.