It was reported recently that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had escaped an assassination attempt by explosive-laden drones. If the story is true, then it is necessary to ask if there are good defences against such attacks. The answer is a qualified “yes”.

When the word “drone” was mentioned in the 1990s, the Predator – an eight-metre-long unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flown by the United States (US) military – typically came to mind. Armed with guided missiles, the Predator was not only an extremely effective surveillance platform but also a highly controversial killing machine. Since then, drone technology has been commercialised.

… Tan Teck Boon is Research Fellow and Coordinator of the Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.