Drones and Terror

So many people are now registering drones and applying for drone pilot licenses, the FAA now estimates there will be more than 1.3 million licensed drone pilots by 2020*. This is compounded by the number of actual drones that will be multiples more. So far, more than 5,000 have passed the licensing exam. With the potential of drone deliveries of pizza and Amazon products almost underway, the skies may soon be flooded with drones. Already, the drone delivery of burritos is underway at Virginia Tech. More than 550,000 drones have been registered, and that in just the last nine months since the law was passed.

Some of us do not wish to look up to see this fleet of giant flies buzzing about our neighborhoods, but only a century ago some did not wish to see those noisy automobiles buzzing along our roads. We know progress happens; it is unstoppable. So also, drones will happen. In a couple of years, I can have a pizza, new book, cuff-links, or perfume delivered to my door in just minutes. This cannot be too bad.

On the flip side, surely some of these drones may interfere with actual airline traffic. No matter how stringent the rules, accidents happen. They probably will. Pilot error? Well, maybe drunk, drone pilots (DDP). Of course, we must ask if it’s possible the government licensing process may be inadequate leading, to incompetent, drone pilots (IDP).

Flipping again, it is not difficult to imagine packages of other kinds, perhaps unordered packages, being delivered to open air venues. Such packages may contain serious explosives, the result of which is a new form of terrorism. It is not unrealistic to imagine a modern Luftwaffe, with pinpoint accuracy for onsite delivery.

A simple cost analysis gives that a top-of-the-line drone costs maybe $2500. The nasty payload may cost another $250. A typical bomb costs many multiples of that, with diminished accuracy. For example, a laser-guided 2,000-pound bomb dropped from a radar-evading F-117 costs $26,200**.

The regulation-minded drone proponent will obviously counter this with the requirement that all drones have a transponder (like all aircraft do), so the FAA will be aware of its location. There are at least two reasons this is stupid. (1) The transponder can be turned off by any determined individual. (2) The knowledge of location may come too late. And even if it is known to be a lethal package, what to do? The regulation-minded proponent will obviously counter this with the requirement that all drone pilots have an FBI background check. A different kind of “no fly” list, this would be. We leave it as an exercise to give two reasons why this is stupid. Hint. Expensive is one, but there are many others.

If you believe our enemies have even half a brain, you must agree they have also considered the possibilities. Too easy.

It would be wonderful to hear from our government this possibility has been even considered, much less addressed, and even still less, countered. Doubtful. Is it possible, there is too much serious money pushing hard for unlimited drone access to our skies, with only meagre pilot licensing in place to prevent disaster?

With this new potential, along with similar potential with driverless cars (reported earlier), technology has opened wide the doors to unlimited terror exponentially greater than primitive pressure cooker or pipe bombs.

*https://www.yahoo.com/news/official-envisions-day-millions-drones-070007336.html

**http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=11897 This doesn’t include the operating costsfor an F-117 at more than $1,500/hr. Also, it doesn’t include the costs of the massive infrastructure for maintaining a squadron of such bombers.

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