Thread by @YusufDFI

Combat drones: We are in a new era of warfare : The combat drone was once the preserve of military superpowers but no longer. Its use by insurgents and smaller nations is already changing the nature of battle

1/ from bbc.com/news/world-600…

the use of UAVs has moved from counter-terrorism or counter-insurgency warfare into full scale conventional combat. Indeed, up ahead, a new third age of drone warfare beckons as technology becomes ever more sophisticated and linked to artificial intelligence
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drones have had a decisive impact contributing to the survival of Libya's internationally recognised gvt and, in last year's Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish supplied drones were a potent factor enabling Azerbaijan's forces to wrest control of disputed enclave from Armenia
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While the US has been reluctant to export its leading edge technology to anyone other than its closest allies, others make no such distinctions. Over 100 countries and non-state groups have drones, and many actors have access to armed drones
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China is by far the leading exporter of armed drones worldwide. But drones are not just accessible to leading military powers. Middle powers such as Iran and Turkey have access to drone technology and are selling systems abroad
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commercial drone technology is so widely available that anyone could build a crude DIY attack drone for a few hundred dollars, and some terrorist groups have. States and non-state groups that can't afford to buy fighter jets can buy drones
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Russia used its involvement in Syria as a testing ground for the incorporation of drones into its wider order of battle.Russia may be a decade or so behind US in sophistication, but Russian armed forces may well be ahead in terms of integrating drones into their fighting units.7/

The utility of this organisation has been proven in combat with instances of Ukrainian armoured units speedily identified; their communications jammed and devastating artillery fire directed against them 8/

drone swarms could be used for simultaneous, multi-directional attacks in ways that could overwhelm human defenders. Over time, this could have a dramatic effect in transforming warfare

9/9 from bbc.com/news/world-600…