Chemical and Biological-Capable RPA Threats and National Security Implications - Defense Against Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Drones Carrying Nanotechnology and Bioengineered CBW Weapons

This report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. The technological landscape of the 21st century is evolving at an ever-increasing pace. Autonomous remotely piloted aircrafts (RPAs) continue to become increasingly sophisticated in size, range, and capability. In addition, emerging micro and nano-technologies are exposing new potential threats in chemical and biological warfare (CBW) not possible just a few years earlier, opening the door to previously unthinkable potentials. Further still, existing chemical and biological treaties, widely adopted around the globe, do not adequately address these prospective and evolving threats, leaving room for potential exploitation by foreign players. The defense posture of the United States is not adequately prepared for the combined threat of today's cutting-edge advancements. Future national defense efforts must envelop critical vulnerabilities posed by emerging technologies in order to protect Americans and deter adversarial use of chemical and biological-capable RPAs. In order to stay ahead of these growing threats and to thwart would-be abusers of advanced technologies, the U.S. Government (USG) must consider changes to how it defends its own airspace. Both active and passive measures of defense with multi-dimensional capabilities are the best approach to achieving this objective. Additionally, modernization of individual protective equipment to align with the current operational environment, and modification to the international chemical and biological conventions must occur to address existing coverage gaps in an effort to keep pace with the ongoing advances of science and technology.

This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

The review of current and emerging technologies will focus on several categories of application. First, we will deal with RPA technology by examining the elements that make it a reliable and effective platform. The next topics will include a look at the supporting technologies and factors complimenting the continued sophistication of future RPAs, such as manufacturing technology and dedicated research. Finally, we will examine nanotechnology and bioengineering advances and their impact on future chemical and biological weapons. While RPA technology has existed in one form or another for decades, recent key advancements in micro-RPAs have synergized to improve their performance and reliability.