Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2016 | Page 75

An Assessment of Lone Wolves Using Explosive-Laden Consumer Drones in the United States
that expands the kill radius. Range also contributes to success, providing adequate
standoff to avoid detection and improve chances of escaping the scene. Whereas longterm
static targets may have permanent fences and surveillance cameras monitoring
vulnerable areas and high-traffic pathways, physical security measures protecting
temporary static targets often include road barriers, access control points or inspection
sites and law enforcement patrols. Drone flight ranges generally exceed the distance
between such security features and protected events or venues, weakening the effects of
security against lone wolves employing an explosive-laden drone. Drones with a greater
maximum speed may mitigate the chance of interdiction and minimize early warning
and reaction time of the crowd.
Mobile Targets
Mobile targets are usually more difficult for a lone wolf to attack, as security
measures include announcing events or appearances with little time in advance and
restricting knowledge of movements and routes to a small group of individuals. Mobile
targets are moving targets, lacking a fixed position and constantly subject to change,
such as a military convoy or the President of the United States (Abbott et al. 2016, 15).
Based on trends in ideology, these targeted individuals are often prominent government
authorities, heads of corporations or leaders of religious groups. Between September 11,
2001 and January 1, 2012, lone wolves targeted a person or place of interest in 8 of the
56 domestic lone wolf terrorism cases, with assassination targets ranging from abortion
doctors to the President of the United States (Eby 2012, 33). Terrorists may choose to
target such figures at their homes or near their workplaces, as such locations may be
easier to locate than events or appearances announced with little advance notice. A lone
wolf would likely employ a drone with explosives against a figure with a guard detail or
similar security measures, which might interdict more common terrorist tactics such as
a car bomb.
A drone’s maximum speed plays a much more crucial role against a mobile
target, such as in the assassination of a political leader. An increase in a target’s reaction
time increases his/her ability to find cover and the ability of guards to interdict the
attack by shooting the drone down. Payload plays a slightly smaller role, especially
if the explosive charge is equipped with small objects to produce shrapnel. Increased
range can enable a terrorist to bypass physical security features protecting the mobile
target and avoid surveillance cameras and media coverage sorted through in forensic
investigations following an attack. Greater range also increases the probability that the
terrorist can escape quickly and undetected, avoiding initial cordons or roadblocks in
the wake of an attack.
Optimal Consumer Drones and Potential Effects
A drone’s payload capacity is the most important feature in a terrorist attack
involving an explosive-laden consumer drone. Range and maximum speed are important
considerations, their relative importance depending on the type of target, while flight
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