Fears 'suicide drones' used in Ukraine may be used in UK terror attacks
Drones used on the battlefields of Ukraine could soon be in the hands of terrorists hitting British targets. And security experts say European security services are being poorly advised on the growing threat.
First-person view drones, which allow the user so see what the drone sees in real time, and unmanned aerial vehicle drones could be used for terror attacks.
A Ukrainian source working with frontline drone teams told the Daily Mirror : “A person armed with the technology, especially an FPV drone typically used in ‘kamikaze’ suicide attacks – when the craft impacts directly at what it is aimed at – could easily target critical infrastructure.
“Attractions like Big Ben or the London Eye are easy targets and the operator does not need to be close.”
First-person view drones could be used for terror attacks
The source said there were indications this type of attack, from a group such as al-Qaeda, or ISIS, was highly likely in Britain. And added: “We are tracking these groups using this technology in Africa, Syria, Gaza and Russian forces in Ukraine. UK security agencies should also take into consideration that a single attacker can use this technology to launch several attacks on different targets without being close.”
Chinese firm Da-Jiang innovations makes UAV drones likely to be used in such attacks – the Mavic 3 Pro for daytime or Mavic 3T, with its thermal imaging camera, for night operations. A mechanism to drop an explosive from the drone can be home-made.
Security experts say European security services are being poorly advised on the growing threat
These can be downed due to their relatively low speed and signals in the gigahertz range, which can be jammed. But the faster FPV drones, in the lower megahertz range, are harder to jam.
Former British Parachute Regiment soldier and terrorism expert Kyle Thorburn, who runs security company Brit Alliance Ltd, operating in Ukraine, is concerned.
Pro-Assad forces use FPV against rebels in Greater Idlib
He said: “I am not suggesting that making large events protected from drone attack is easy – but more needs to be done. This threat is real and doesn’t have to be smuggled into the UK. It can be bought here and FPVs can be assembled at home.
“The time when terrorists are radicalised at home is over. They get this knowledge openly through Ukraine or Russian YouTube or Telegram channels.”
He warned that the firms advising European security services may not have the latest data on combating drones. Adding: “The Ukraine fronline is witnessing enormous changes in drone technology, the UK needs to take note.”