Suicide Drones: A History

Drone warfare has undoubtedly become a crucial component of contemporary military operations - with drone strikes in the Russia-Ukraine war often dominating headlines. And while suicide drones are predominantly used within warfare, providing an opportunity to overwhelm enemy air defences - it's important to recognise that drones serve many purposes beyond destruction. With their utility extending to reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, drones have long developed since their first uses in the Vietnam war. But how do changing markets and modern conflicts affect the development of Drones, and can we use past events to predict future trends?In this episode James welcomes Dan Gettinger to the podcast to examine both past, and present, uses of Drones - and illuminates us on what to expect in the future. Looking at how international sanctions and blockades, changing political relationships, and the evolution of war helps determine drone development - is it possible to predict how drones will be adapted in the future?Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code WARFARE. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here.