Remember my column on drones?

By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist

A dozen years ago in these pages I wrote a column with the hypothetical scenario of small drones being set up near a sporting event, flown into that sporting event, and exploded.

The Ukranians just did that in Russia. They shipped drone parts to Russia, assembled the drones there, secretly put them in containers and had innocent truck drivers deliver them near Russian bomber bases where the containers’ tops were opened remotely. The drones flew out and destroyed 1/3 of Russia’s bomber fleet.

I told you it would be easy.

This completely changes the thinking about military and civilian defense. In fact, what it really does is take us back to the days before airplanes.

In World War I, before the advent of the airplane, military planners thought about the enemy approaching on the ground or from the sea. Defense was about enemies approaching in a manner in which they could be seen.

The airplane changed all this – now the enemy could come from far away. By World War II, the enemy could come from very far away. In the 1950s, the enemy could come via missiles, again from very far away.

In Vietnam, we approached the enemy from nearby, in very noisy helicopters. They knew we were coming.

With this latest ploy by the Ukranians, they have very cleverly deployed ancient technology, the Trojan Horse, along with small, high-tech and quiet drones.

Suddenly, every military base, every port, is vulnerable.

We must immediately disallow the Chinese from purchasing land near our military bases. Maybe not allow any enemy to purchase land anywhere in the United States.

Then, we must develop detection methods that will quickly identify enemy aircraft of any size, down to the smallest drones. And then, of course, we need ways to destroy those craft.  

They may come after military targets, ports or civilian locations, as I described in my column many years ago at https://highlandcountypress.com/jim-thompson/duck-and-cover#gsc.tab=0

Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press.