Los military drones endowed with artificial intelligence have transformed the way of doing things wars. Some experts compare its emergence with the revolution that led to the invention of gunpowder in the 10th century. The vast majority of armies The world already has these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), but they have also fallen into the hands of guerrillas, terrorists y drug traffickersmainly in Latin America y Africa. He low price of some of these devices, especially civilians armed with explosives, their easy handling and effectiveness has made them a threat increasing for the security of the States. Governments not only arm themselves, but also acquire complex and million-dollar systems to detect these flying devices and destroy them before they reach the objective.
This is what the Government of Colombia given the increase in attacks with these unmanned devices by the guerrillas operating in the country. The State has been forced to acquire a millionaire . Insurgents use UAVs to attack military bases, ground and air forces. One of the deadliest operations occurred a year ago. A total of 19 police officers died after a drone hit the helicopter in which they were traveling. Concern increased further last month. In the midst of the presidential election campaign, security forces deactivated a drone found just . The device, loaded with a powerful explosive, was equipped with fiber opticimpossible to detect in mid-flight. This type of drone is widely used in the Ukrainian war.
Drones have also reached Latin American drug traffickers. The two major Mexican drug cartels, the Jalisco New Generation and that of Sinaloathey have been using these weapons for years. The immense economic power of these criminal organizations also allows them to increasingly access drones. sophisticated y powerfulwith which, in addition to putting the security forces and the Army in check, they serve to transport merchandise. The Jalisco cartel even has “Drone Operators”, a special unit dedicated exclusively to the management of these flying devices. Other smaller criminal organizations also use them. This is the case of the Brazilian . At the end of last year, the police raided the Rio de Janeiro favela, a stronghold of drug traffickers. In the extremely violent battle, the criminal group used small domestic drones armed with grenades and other types of explosives. More than 120 people died during the heavy fighting. The battle centered in the heavens.
A man launches a drone during the demonstration at the Santa Barbara factory in Colombia. / RAÚL ARBOLEDA / AFP
880 civilians killed
The most media event in Latin America with drones as protagonists was the in 2018 against the then president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro. Two devices suicide bombers They exploded a few meters from the president while he was presiding over an official event in Caracas. A similar attack took place six years later in Africa the general Abdelfatá al-Burhanwho also emerged unharmed. The situation in the African country has turned its territory into a testing ground for these weapons. According to the UN, at least 880 civilians have died from drone attacks between January and April of this year, which represents more than 80% of the total civilian victims recorded in this period.
In other African countries, UAVs have increased the military capacity of jihadist groups related to Al Qaeda and to Islamic State. The wars that are fought in the Sahel They are a good example of this. drones are in the hands of terrorist organizations or guerrilla groups. Armies have also been armed. At least 36 States on the continent have acquired thousands of unmanned units in recent years, mainly from Türkiyealthough there are already dozens of countries that produce their own.
“Growing threat” in Spain
Experts warn that if this trend continues, the military technological gap between States and non-state armed groups could be reduced. Whom Spain, (DSN) has described the bomb drones. In a comprehensive report published three years ago, the DSN warns of the danger posed by terrorist and organized crime groups possessing devices capable of “penetrating densely populated areas, such as urban centers or large events.”
Drones also empower countries with much smaller firepower than their enemies. The war of Middle East is a clear example. The greatest military power in the world, united with Israelhas not been able to defeat Iranone of the largest drone manufacturers in the world. As he recalled American Fareed Zakaria, “$15,000 drones can hold the world hostage,” in reference to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
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