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Knowledge Nugget of the day: Dragon drones

Dragon drones have been deployed in the Russia-Ukraine war as advanced weapons. What exactly are Dragon drones and what are they capable of? Let's take a look.

Knowledge nugget of the day: Dragon dronesA Ukrainian serviceman from an anti-drone mobile air defence unit uses his mobile device near a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft cannon as he waits for Russian drones, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson region, Ukraine. (REUTERS/Ivan Antypenko/File Photo)

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues to rage, newer weapons of destruction have come into play. Recently, both sides have posted visuals of drones appearing to rain down fire — earning this weapon the moniker of dragon drone”. What are these drones? What these drones are spewing? Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today.

Knowledge Nugget: Dragon drones

Subject: Science and Technology

 

Why in news?

A deadly new weapon has taken to the skies in the Russia-Ukraine war. Videos have emerged across various social media platforms showing drones appearing to rain down fire — earning this weapon the moniker of “dragon drone”.

Key Takeaways :

1. Dragon drones essentially release a substance called thermite — a mixture of aluminium and iron oxide — developed a century ago to weld railroad tracks.

2. 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.

3. Dragon drones are believed to have been first deployed in the Russia-Ukraine war around September. According to a report by The New York Times, Ukrainian forces used them to “ignite the vegetation that Russian troops use for cover and burn it out, exposing them and their equipment to direct attack.” Soon, the Russians too began to produce and deploy their dragon drones.

Videos have emerged across various social media platforms showing these fire-spewing ‘dragon drones’ burning trees and reportedly some Russian military vehicles. (Photo: Screengrab from Video on X/@Nastushichek)

4. According to a 2022 report on incendiary weapons, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called thermite “notorious for their horrific human cost,” including inflicting fourth- or fifth-degree burns.  “They can cause damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and even bones,” HRW stated. Other incendiary weapons includes napalm and white phosphorus which have been used since World War I.

5. 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.

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6. “The problem with thermite is that it is rather indiscriminate. Therefore, while it is not banned per se, Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons actually limits its use to strictly military targets, given the fact that this munition can produce severe burns and respiratory injuries.” Marina Miron, a military expert from King’s College London, told DW.

Do you know?
The Indian Army is set to procure an advanced version of the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction system (MK IIA) to counter the growing threats from unmanned aerial systems, particularly along the western and northern borders.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Thermite

7.  Thermite was used in both world wars. During World War I, German zeppelins dropped thermite-laden bombs which were considered an innovation at the time.

8. By World War II, thermite-laden high incendiary explosives became a part and parcel of both the Allies and Axis forces’ aerial bombing campaigns. According to some estimates, the Allies dropped some 30 million 4-pound thermite bombs on Germany and another 10 million on Japan during World War II. Thermite hand grenades were also used during the war to disable artillery pieces, without an explosion.

9. In modern conflict, thermite is most often used by espionage agents, or special operations teams due to its ability to burn intensely but without a bang.

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How is the Russia-Ukraine War a “new” kind of war?

Nandan Unnikrishnan writes—

“This (Russia-Ukraine war) is not the kind of blitzkrieg that, let’s say, we have seen the Americans do in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in other places, where there’s a shock-and-awe element — send a lot of airplanes, missiles, take out the enemy’s air defences, and then march in triumphantly and take over the country.

In Ukraine, the Russians met with a fairly resolute defence. And when they realised that this was going to be a longer war, they readjusted their tactics to that assessment.

One example is that of drones. Ukrainian drones initially had very significant successes. The Russians understood that — and not only did they adopt the use of drones themselves, they also found ways to defend against drones. So occasionally a drone will still go deep inside Russia, but they are not able to inflict the kind of damage they did in the first few months of the war.”

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(Sources: What Ukraine has been using to attack Russian positions in Kharkiv? (IE), Dragon drones (IE), An Expert Explains: Russia-Ukraine war(IE))

Previous Knowledge Nugget : Nihon Hidankyo

For your queries and suggestions write at roshni.yadav@indianexpress.com

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Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: roshni.yadav@indianexpress.com ... Read More

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