ICYMI : How Commercial Drones Changed War
Angry Planet25 Sep 2019

ICYMI : How Commercial Drones Changed War

For the past decade, unmanned aerial vehicles have been a cornerstone of America’s campaign against Islamic insurgents in the Greater Middle East. Predator and Reaper drones crisscross the globe firing hellfire missiles on U.S. enemies. Other countries have operational drone fleets, but few match the might and ubiquity of America’s.


But journalists on the front lines in Iraq have seen a disturbing new trend - Islamic State using retail quadcopters to drop their own munitions with surprising accuracy. Mosul is the frontline in the fight against ISIS as well as the frontline in a new arm’s race. One that pits the tiny drones of the Islamic State against the budding anti-drone technology of the West.


To be clear, Islamic State’s commercial quadcopters rigged with grenades and manufactured missiles is nothing compared to the power of a Predator firing off hellfire missiles with pinpoint accuracy. But that’s cold comfort to a civilian killed by a handmade explosive dropped by a quadcopter over the streets of Mosul.


This week on War College, Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Kesling walks us through the drones of Islamic State. He’s back from the fighting in Mosul and saw his share of quadcopters as well as the innovative solutions coalition and Iraqi forces are using to fight against them.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(496)

TEASER: Checking In On the Online Nazis With Jason Wilson

TEASER: Checking In On the Online Nazis With Jason Wilson

Sign up at angryplanetpod.com to get instant access to the full episode.A direct link to the episode on Substack.American politics was bizarre in 2016. Alt-right figures dominated many news cycles and...

6 Jun 202413min

The FBI’s Chat App and the Biggest Sting Operation In History

The FBI’s Chat App and the Biggest Sting Operation In History

International criminal organizations are more concerned about message security than the average citizen. The end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp or Signal is great, but drug traffickers are looking for ...

5 Jun 202453min

Ships: America Doesn't Build Them Like It Used To (Or at All)

Ships: America Doesn't Build Them Like It Used To (Or at All)

A lot goes into keeping a navy afloat. There’s ship husbanding, maintenance, and buckets of haze gray. The U.S. used to be good at this, but it hasn’t been on an active war-footing for a long time and...

30 Mai 20241h

TEASER: The Case for World War III Breaking Out This Summer

TEASER: The Case for World War III Breaking Out This Summer

Sign up at angryplanetpod.com to get instant access to the full episode.A direct link to the episode on Substack.The big picture in Europe doesn’t look good. Russia is moving to encircle key cities in...

22 Mai 202412min

The Horrors Behind Your Frozen Shrimp

The Horrors Behind Your Frozen Shrimp

Americans love shrimp. They love it so much they don’t think too hard about where it comes from—or the virtual slaves who are farming them. Joshua Farinella doesn’t have that luxury.A few years ago, F...

20 Mai 202448min

TEASER: Russian Murderers Who Go to War and Come Home to Kill Again

TEASER: Russian Murderers Who Go to War and Come Home to Kill Again

Sign up at angryplanetpod.com to get instant access to the full episode.A direct link to the episode on Substack.In Russia there’s a revolving door between prisons and the frontlines. What began as a ...

2 Mai 202411min

Americans in Ukraine Looking for ‘Daybreak’

Americans in Ukraine Looking for ‘Daybreak’

Luke Paxton and Han Lee know a good cause when they see one. When Russia invades Ukraine in 2022, the American vets know what they need to do. Their time in Afghanistan has given them the skills to he...

29 Apr 20241h 1min

An Insider's Critique of Israel

An Insider's Critique of Israel

The war between Israel and Hamas, which began on Oct. 7 when terrorists overran the Gaza frontier and killed more than 1,200 Israelis, is now more than six months old. More than 100 Israeli hostages a...

22 Apr 20241h 3min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
i-retten
stopp-verden
popradet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-gukild-johaug
nokon-ma-ga
fotballpodden-2
det-store-bildet
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik