The footage has become grimly familiar: shaky camera feed from afar, showing a drone hovering above a target before the sudden moment of impact, all filmed and circulated within minutes. What once required a fighter jet, a cruise missile, or a team of special forces operatives is now being done for a fraction of the price from the back of a pickup truck.

From the war in Ukraine to the recent conflict in West Asia, drones are no longer considered just auxiliary tools of war.