Weaponized aerial drones, especially the FPV drones rose in popularity in 2022 as a new type of weapon in the Russo-Ukrainian war. The modern commercial FPV drones have an operational range of 2-3 km (more with the retranslator), and are easy to build and use for engaging moving and stationary targets. With the addition of AI-supported target tracking, their success rate can be further improved, turning them into a new type of weapon used for eliminating high-valued targets or in acts of terrorism across the globe.

As a potential weapon of terrorism, it has a number of advantages:

• The drones themselves are considered civilian equipment and are much less regulated compared to firearms. In most countries they can be shipped across the borders without extra permissions.
• Comparable price to a sniper rifle. The current price of a DJI Mavic 3 drone is about $2000. However, it usually needs additional work to be turned into a combat drone.
• Using the drone does not require the operator to have a line-of-sight with the target. The operator can remain hidden throughout the process and leave the area unnoticed.
• Compared to using an IED the drone does not require the operator to ever visit the target area.