Modern Warfare.

[Alisoncc]

I find it quite astonishing that the UK military have been unable to take out the few hundred quid drone that paralysed Gatwick. I admit that the ability to take out cheap drones isn't as sexy as a new frigate or aircraft carrier, a new battle tank or even a supersonic fighter, but their ability to deliver aerosol biological agents is I suspect unmatched.

So whilst a drone is emitting a cloud of some contagious plague over a major sporting event killing off hundreds of thousands, F35's are racing around the skies playing lets pretend, and an armada of RN ships sail up the Thames.

We have more than enough ex-military personnel here on Ops-Normal to debate the possibilities. Do we, Brits or others, expect that WWIII will be played to the rules of the Geneva Convention? I think not.

Without wishing to cause offence 9/11 was brilliant in it's conception. Thinking totally out of the box that took the US totally unprepared. Fully fuelled up aircraft, representing massively powerful bombs, available in close proximity to major population centres. What could be easier?

Will a drone spraying Ebola or some variant of the Spanish Flu be the next wholly unexpected attack on a population centre? The prospect is pretty scary.

Alison

[Capetonian]

It is indeed, and I am not proud to say that I forecast this some while ago with the availability of these things.

One newspaper is now stating that maybe there wasn't even a drone at Gatwick.

It is mind-boggling.

[Pontius Navigator]

For many years a perceived strength of the USSR was its retention of obsolete kit. The West, in contrast, was in a continual race for excellence. The consequence was we had the ability to counter the best Russian kit but in the process we could be swamped by sheer weight of obsolete kit.

In this race to best we overlook cheap and cheerful. The Folland Midge was good enough for Finland and India but not for our airships. The threat from drones had been there but the solution was neither cheap nor sexy.

[4mastacker]

I think you're right Alison. The world has changed so much in recent years, and it's very clear that there are those who have no respect for 'conventions' of any sort to fight "fairly"- those that are pursuing a religion-based conflict will not even start to think whether or not their actions are legal/illegal as long as they kill as many of who they perceive as their enemy.

The Gatwick event may have been a dry run for something more sinister or it may have simply been some idiot who thought it would be a jolly prank without realising it has given malevolent minds food for thought.