James Patton Rogers Profile picture
Exec Director @CornellTPI | Co-Founder @BISAWarStudies | Adviser on Drones & Disruptive Tech @NATO @UN @UKParliament | War Historian | Agent @TheSohoAgencyUK
Jan 12 12 tweets 5 min read
1/8 I had the opportunity to inspect captured Houthi drones. Here's what I learnt and why the latest US/UK strikes on Yemen will likely have little impact on the persistent threat of terrorist drones across the region.
These images are from a VOA article on how 'How Yemen's Rebels Increasingly Deploy Drones'. I was restricted from taking photos during my inspection of captured Houthi drones in 2019, but you can read more about my findings in the articles supplied at the end of the thread. https://www.voanews.com/a/ap-explains-how-yemen-s-rebels-increasingly-deploy-drones-/4737804.html
Image
2/8 First, the Houthis do not only get their drones from Iran. Although based on Iranian designs, the group quickly learnt to manufacture drones locally through a mix of fiberglass casting & smuggling hi-tech commercial components. Why is this important? This image was retrieved from CAR and their excellent report on the topic is available here, with a link also placed at the end of the threat: https://www.conflictarm.com/dispatches/evolution-of-uavs-employed-by-houthi-forces-in-yemen/
Oct 17, 2022 6 tweets 3 min read
1/5🧵In August, I briefed the UN Security Council on the growing threat of drones, urging action against their increasing transnational use.

Today's drone attacks on Kyiv show why urgent action is needed. Here are my three main points... ImageImageImage 2/5 First, this is an international problem, and so requires an international solution. From the Middle East to Ukraine, drones technologies - many of which are Iranian in design - are wreaking havoc on vital national infrastructure arabnews.com/node/2174446/m…
Sep 14, 2019 6 tweets 4 min read
1/6 Big drone news coming out of Saudi Arabia this morning!

Houthi #drones have allegedly targeted the Aramco oil processing plant near Dammam causing substantial fires. This is no easy feat and if confirmed marks a sea-change in non-state drone capabilities.

Here’s why- 2/6 The drone in question is likely what the UN has called the UAVX. Houthi’s call this long-range drone a ‘’Samad-3’’. The drone itself remains elusive, with few details released about its technical capabilities, but it appears to pack quite the punch...

bbc.com/news/world-mid…
Aug 5, 2018 8 tweets 5 min read
I'm intrigued by this 'Drone Assassination' attempt on President Maduro in Venezuela. Some things just don't add up, but the scenario is entirly possible. 1/8 @EFADrones @RikeFranke @MaxAbrahms @delinagoxho @Encyclopediageo @BulletinAtomic @WriteArthur @AthertonKD @NYTimesAtWar We've known for a while that even the most basic 'drone' can be used to cause mass panic, if not mass injury. Think of the rudimentary 'radioactive drone', which sat on the Japanese PM's office for 2 weeks, or those sent flying towards the White House. 2/8 counterterrorbusiness.com/features/count…