New Delhi, April 11. Lone actor terrorists are increasingly using drones to conduct reconnaissance missions of potential targets. Materials regularly posted by various wings of the Islamic State have been encouraging lone-actor terrorists to use drones to gather information about targets.
The Islamic State has been encouraging these individuals through their various propaganda channels to use commercially available drones for both reconnaissance and attacks. These drones are ready-made and mass-produced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are readily available for purchase. They are not custom-built military or industrial drones.
They are designed for immediate use and are generally used in sectors such as construction, real estate, or agriculture. The easy availability and low noise signature of these drones have made them popular among terrorist groups. Furthermore, they are the ideal equipment for lone-actor terrorists to use, and therefore, the Islamic State has been heavily promoting their use.
Experts say that these drones are easy to use, and terrorist groups have been able to modify them to carry and drop improvised explosive devices (IEDs). An official stated that preparing the IED remains the only challenge, but the COTS drones themselves are easier to operate. However, the Islamic State has plenty of material when it comes to preparing the IED.
The Islamic State has also taken advantage of the fact that COTS drones have a low noise signature. This allows the terrorist to carry out an operation quietly. This feature makes it difficult for the drone to be detected by human ears or acoustic sensors. Due to the low profile of this drone and the noise input, the drone can hover over target locations unnoticed. This is the feature that the Islamic State wants lone-actor terrorists to exploit, especially when it comes to reconnaissance missions.
Counterterrorism experts say that COTS drones are capable of carrying payloads of up to 2 to 5 kilograms. While the attack itself would have a low impact, the psychological effect it would have on people would be immense. The Islamic State is known to also incite psychological terror during attacks. For instance, the vehicle ramming tactic that it has deployed so many times is a part of the psychological warfare that it indulges in.
As part of its plan, the terror group has not been advising its operatives to use drones only for surveillance and IED strikes. To cause a deep psychological impact, the terror group also encourages lone actor terrorists to use COTS drones to spray chemicals over mass gatherings. This drives panic in the minds of the people.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that COTS drones are a major threat. Their usage by lone actor terrorists is a very worrisome development. However, India was quick to recognize this problem and, through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, implemented a total ban on it in 2022. The ban was also imposed to promote "Make in India" and encourage local startups to develop indigenous drones. National security was at the top of the agenda when the ban was imposed. Foreign drones could act as spycraft by sending sensitive data abroad.
The agencies also reported that such drones were being used to smuggle drugs across the border.
Another official said that Pakistan has been trying to smuggle such drones into India.
These could be accessed by the lone actor terrorists, who in turn would look to follow the Islamic State’s instructions and use it in India, the official also cautioned.