Dragon drones : In News
A deadly new weapon has taken to the skies in the Russia-Ukraine war. Both sides have posted visuals of drones appearing to rain down fire — earning this weapon the moniker of “dragon drone”.
- Dragon drones essentially release a substance called thermite — a mixture of aluminium and iron oxide — developed a century ago to weld railroad tracks.
- When ignited (usually with the help of an electrical fuse), thermite triggers a self-sustaining reaction that is quite difficult to extinguish.
- It can burn through almost anything, from clothes to trees to military-grade vehicles, and can even burn underwater.
- On humans, it causes severe, possibly fatal, burns and bone damage.
- Combining thermite with high-precision drones that can bypass traditional defences makes dragon drones ‘highly effective’ and ‘dangerous’
- In recent times these dragon drones are believed to have been first deployed in the Russia-Ukraine war around September.
International regulation - The use of thermite in war is not prohibited under international law.
- However, the use of such incendiary weapons against civilian targets is barred under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons — Cold War-era guidance issued under the auspices of the United Nations.
