Late in 2019, American military equipment detected an incoming enemy drone over an Iraqi base hosting US forces. The troops were jumpy; their base was vulnerable and exposed.
The detection system gave a grainy picture but indicated the object was getting closer, according to people familiar with events. US forces launched an expensive counter drone missile, which circled the target, missing twice, before being detonated mid-air to avoid a ground explosion. On closer inspection, defence officials later determined the incoming threat was not, after all, a lethally armed drone designed to kill US troops. It was a balloon.
The US has been the pioneer in the use of large killer drones for its global war on terror. Today, much of the conversation about warfare is dominated by extremely sophisticated weapons such as hypersonic, lasers or missile defences that push at the boundaries of the possible.