Drones are transforming warfare through the use of artificial intelligence, drone swarms, and surveillance—leading to competition among the US, China, Israel, and Iran. Who will be the next power in drones?

In the battle for the streets of Mosul in Iraq, drones in the hands of ISIS terrorists made life difficult for the Iraqi army and civilians. Today, defense companies are accelerating the development of lasers, microwaves, and technologies to counter the next drone threat. Seth J. Frantzman takes the reader from nighttime exercises with Israel's elite drone warriors to the CIA headquarters, where new drone technology was adopted in the 1990s to hunt down Osama bin Laden.

This rapidly developing technology can be used to target nuclear facilities and put civilian airports at risk. In the Middle East, the US used a drone to kill Iranian chief terrorist Qasem Soleimani, a key Iranian commander. Drones are transforming the battlefield from Syria to Libya and Yemen. For armies and security services—the primary users of expensive drones—the UAV market is constantly evolving. There were over 20,000 military drones in use in 2020.

From a state that was exclusively for a few armies, drones are now being manufactured in Turkey, China, Russia, and smaller countries like Taiwan that may enter the military drone market. It is a big business, as it is expected that 100 billion dollars will be spent in the next decade on drones. Armies may soon spend more on drones than on tanks, just as naval forces shifted from giant vulnerable battleships to more agile ships. Future wars will be fought with drones and won by whoever has the most advanced technology.

Pages: 288, Year of Publication: 0819, Dimensions: 15.2x15.2cm