Thread by @DefenseNigeria

ISWAP can expect to lose 70% of its top commanders in the first two weeks when the Super Tucano, Wing Loong II, CH-4 and CH-3B go active.

This is no hyperbole. Over 90% of top al-Qaeda and ISIS commanders killed died by drone strikes.

The Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was killed by a drone strike at Baghdads airport. What did Soleimani do to piss off the United States that it will be willing to risk a diplomatic fallout by killing the Iranian general in a civilian airport.

Turns out Soleimani, leader of the Revolutionary Guards' was a pivotal figure in orchestrating Iran's campaign to drive US forces out of Iraq, and built up Iran's network of proxy armies across the Middle East.

Beneath the rhetorics and sabre rattling and even missile attacks, came raw fear. A fear that came with the realization that America was willing to cross the thresshhold if need be, and the Iranian leadership itself is vulnerable to a decapitating strike.

Thats how powerful drones are. Yes by themselves they don't win wars, but nothing strikes fear into the heart of even the most hardened of hearts than the realization that the minute you step out or anywhere you are, you could be seconds away from death at the hands

..of a drone in the sky that can remain airborne for 20 hours straight. Let's take recent events in Nigeria for perspective.

May 21, 2021. In the northeast the Nigerian army detected and attacked a remote village near Lake Chad where several hundred Boko Haram gunmen were assembling for a surprise attack on Maiduguri.

An ISR aircraft detected the gathering and confirmed the location.

A quickly organized ground and air attack surprised the Boko Haram force. After more than a day of fighting and pursuit the insurgents suffered over a hundred casualties, including about 40 dead. A lot of the assembled fighters were teenagers, recently convinced to join.

From target detection and execution it took more than a day of fighting to neutralize the insurgents.

If it had been the Wing Loong II or CH-4 drones that detected the gathering it would have been over in seconds. Not days or hours or minutes. SECONDS.

It can carry a number of different missiles and bombs, including laser-guided missiles/bombs and the AR-1 anti-tank missile. It can fly for about 20 hours with a maximum speed of 370 kilometers per hour with an operational radius of 1,500km.

Its virtually impossible to hide from. It is not bound by human limitations, it has all the time in the world to loiter around beyond sight and sound.