Memorandum
Subject: Intelligence Brief
To: All Readers and Interested Parties
From: Greg Smith, Author
Date: 6 JUN 2025
BACKGROUND:
On this day eighty-one years ago, the largest amphibious invasion inhuman history was launched on the beaches of Normandy. Today we continue to enjoy the freedoms their sacrifice preserved.
As we celebrate all those who came before us, we cannot lose sight that war and conflict are an unfortunate part of the human condition since Cain slew Abel. The only thing that has changed over the centuries is the technology employed. People used their hands, then clubs, then rocks, swords, spears, and fire to destroy their enemy. Swords led to bows and projectile weapons. The bow, the trebuchet and the catapult were replaced by artillery and then missiles. Ramming ships became battleships and dreadnaughts, that were eventually sunk by aircraft from unseen carriers. As a result of two world wars in the twentieth century, the reach and power of weaponry advanced at an exponential rate.
Yet, despite the technological advancements, the modern battlefield has become far more dangerous because of a hobby and what was a children’s toy, the drone. The current war in Ukraine has been a primary example, but drones have also been the key component for offensive actions against shipping in the Red Sea and in terror attacks in Iraq and Israel. First person view (FPV) guided drones and autonomous drones have been successfully employed to great effect. Drones are cheap, reliable and hard to defend against.
Last week, Ukraine launched an attack that reportedly took eighteen months of planning to accomplish. Hundreds of FPV and autonomous drones were launched from locations inside Russia, striking at airfields across the country. Early estimates indicate that as much as forty percent of the Russian strategic bomber fleet was damaged or destroyed.
Similarly, in the Red Sea, autonomous drones launched from Yemen have attacked commercial and military ships, causing substantial damage. Though relatively few ships have been sunk, many have been damaged, and commercial shipping has avoided the region, thus impacting economies globally. The cost to defend against these attacks, or to launch air strikes and missile strikes against launch sites has been in billions of dollars and had limited impact.
Countries like the US are scrambling to develop cost effective anti-drone technologies. Defense against drones often relies on interrupting the navigation systems or communication systems that control them. This can be very effective and would be well employed on a battlefield. However, using such technology on or near critical infrastructure can result in massive collateral damage and impact. Using electromagnetic pulse devices, radio interruption or jamming near a major city, airport, railyard, electrical plant, or other critical facility may result in unintended consequences. If the defense mechanism causes as much damage as a drone might have, it may not be an effective defense.
New technologies, both high-tech and low-tech (like shotguns or netting) are sure to be developed over the next few years to combat drone attacks. In the meantime, for a relatively small cost in the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, a handful of drones can cause damage or impact in the billions. This is why drones have become a key planning factor for terror groups as well as nations.
CURRENT OPERATIONS UPDATE:
The concerns and information described above are the types of ideas that fuel my stories. In my upcoming thriller novel, Killer’s Reign, I draw upon ideas like these to provide the what-if scenarios. Although works of fiction and entirely from my own vivid imagination, the events and characters that drive the narrative reflect both current reality and my own experiences.
I invite you to check the website regularly. I will be posting information on my blog about the characters, storylines, and interesting tidbits of intelligence.
Safe travels!
Greg Smith
Author
