Biological and Chemical Threats and UAV Delivery Systems: A Lethal Combination

The Chemical or Biological Weapons (CBW) of mass destruction and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology both have dual-use potential, and can be manufactured cost-effectively, covertly utilising the same set of equipment, manufacturing unit and manpower, which makes it a deadly combination. The proliferation of CBW technology has always been a global threat. The threat of CBW-weaponised drones from non-state actors has been escalating with increasing covert support to terrorism by state actors. The UAV technology is a truly disruptive technology having facilitated covert and asymmetric warfare and blurring the conventional concepts of combats, conflicts and sovereignty. The entry of sophisticated UAV technology, weaponised with emerging highly potent synthetic biological agents or nerve agents have brought in tectonic shifts in biological and chemical warfare of the future. Throughout history, chemical and biological weapons have evoked fear. The marriage between modern CBW and UAV technologies is a lethal combination; an attractive proposition for state- or non-state-sponsored warfare or terrorism respectively, and another potent challenge for global security agencies.