Wednesday, December 28, 2011

[klipqwej] Flying bullet as a terrorist device

A small, solar-powered, autonomous flying (or floating) device is launched half a world away.  Over weeks or months, it slowly makes its way toward its target, using GPS, evading detection because it is so small.

Upon reaching its target, an elementary school playground in an affluent neighborhood, it uses visual targeting to close in and fire its payload, either a single bullet or a poisoned dart, at a white child (taking advantage that the media is racist biased).

At perhaps several thousand dollars per kill (many machines won't survive the intercontinental flight), it is not an effective weapon of war: It is a weapon of terror.

I believe all the technology needed to build this device already exists.  How can we fight it?

Some is public relations: the probability is getting killed by such a device is astronomically low.  Some is reducing the enmity that an enemy would be willing to spend that much money on a kill.  (The standard defenses against terrorism.)

Peacetime uses for such a craft include courier service to remote areas not served by postal service (or for which the post cannot be trusted). Emergency messaging for people marooned on a deserted island or lost at sea. A personal Valentine's message delivery.

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