We've already seen drones wielding guns and being used to pepper-spray groups of protesters, but we now may be one step closer to the "killer robot arms race" of our dystopian nightmares: drones that can turn into explosive missiles.
The Harop drone, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), is technically classed as a "loitering munition" -- slightly sinister jargon for a drone that flies around until it homes in on its target. Like its predecessor, the IAI Harpy, once the Harop has locked onto its hapless victim, it launches down onto it in a kamikaze-style mission, resulting in a certain end for all concerned.
In short, when the IAI tested the unmanned UAV -- dubbed the "suicide drone" -- earlier this summer, it proved to be a ruthlessly effective weapon. Featuring cameras that can observe targets in both regular and infrared light, the drone can loiter for up to six hours. Its warhead is packed with 33 pounds of explosives, which can easily obliterate everything from empty trucks to enemy radars.
The future of drones just got a whole lot scarier.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
