My thought is more for covert assassinations; plug a deadly poison into the 'stinger', particularly one that can only be found if it is specifically looked for during autopsy, then direct/steer it to the target.
Armed security, alarms, pressure sensors, mined compound - all worthless if it can find even the slightest opening in a door or window to enter to get in to the target and 'sting' them.
Alternatively, it could also be used to incapacitate someone to abduct. Or back with assassinating again, if it is wanted that it looks like an accident, it can 'sting' them while they are behind the wheel of a vehicle at the right time (around a curve, traveling fast, etc.) and knock them out.
It can go on and on, though such mini drones have existed for years. The late author Clive Cussler always sourced the technologies used in his books that exist in reality, and also gave sources for those he expanded on based on the then-current state of them. He also regularly conversed and worked with military departments, such as the DoD. I believe one of his Oregon Files books involved using remotely controlled mosquitoes/bees to assassinate/attempt to assassinate someone in one of them and sourced that technology as already existing. I think that book was released 20+ years ago, and that was information on technology that the US military was ok with being included in his book back then.
Essentially, anyone, -anyone-, anywhere in the world can be gotten to and removed without any kind of trail if they have a reason to justify expending the resources to get them and as long as any ripple effects from the taken action do not interfere (too much) with other areas of operations. They would much rather bribe, threaten or brainwash someone into working for them to further their agendas than to take them out completely (it would seem, anyway).
Good info. Will look into those sources
I'd guess most of the "why don't we see this all the time" thought is because of leak potential, info control on the tech, and other intel agencies "knowing" / learning that this tech was conduced in a specific airspace, which would naturally reveal info about who did that attack. No one would willingly reveal they used/had this tech without the suspect that it'd be watched. Much easier to hire some cheapo darknet hitmen or do a suicide op and run the media.
Again thanks for the Clive name and the book title (Oregon Files), I think much of the warfare has changed to hide from the internet these days, and is less direct, more intense, smokebomb'd, etc
Agreed. It is surely much more effective for them to obfuscate the trail by utilizing an asset of various abilities and professionalism depending on the target. I'm sure it does regularly happen that they use a junkie to do the dirty work and then they remove them as well (likely via "overdose" as no one will look twice at that happening or question it). As media is controlled, some seemingly random accident or murder would never be reported on (especially if the target/victim was White) and even if it does lead back to the junkie by those investigating it, the junkie is out of the picture cleanly already.
You're welcome on Clive Cussler. He had a long career of writing and helped many other authors get names for themselves as well by co-authoring with them on his books. This also includes his son, Dirk, who has since taken up with continuing Clive's many book series. Clive's series "Dirk Pitt" and the character of that name is even named after his son.
Here is some information on his series if you are interested: (his son having now taken up further books after Clive's passing as I noted)
- Dirk Pitt (Book 26 releases November 6th)
- Fargo Adventures (Book 13 releases January 11, 2022)
- Oregon Files (Book 16 release unknown)
- NUMA Files (Book 19 release unknown)
- Isaac Bell (Book 13 release unknown)
I'm not recalling which book involved the bee/mosquito drone just yet and a quick search didn't help. I'm sure it was in one of Clive Cussler's series and not another author like James Rollins (who had co-authored with Clive Cussler several times and also did his own series like "SIGMA Force").
If I recall or manage to find the book and get the sources he cites for that tech in the future, I'll update.
(post is archived)