Why is it in the news?
- Dragon drones are the latest weapon being used in the Russia-Ukraine war, emitting molten metal that burns at an intense 2,427 degrees Celsius, essentially raining down fire.
- Both sides have posted footage of these drones, which earned them the nickname “dragon drones.”
More about the news
- This molten substance is a thermite mixture of aluminium and iron oxide, which has been in use for over a century, primarily for welding railroad tracks.
- When ignited using an electrical fuse, thermite triggers a self-sustaining reaction that is nearly impossible to extinguish. It can burn through various materials such as clothing, trees, military vehicles, and even underwater.
- On humans, it can cause severe burns and bone damage. The combination of thermite and precision drones that can bypass traditional defenses makes dragon drones highly effective and dangerous, according to the United Kingdom-based anti-war group Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).
- The first deployment of these drones in the Russia-Ukraine war is believed to have been around September. Ukrainian forces reportedly used them to ignite vegetation used by Russian troops for cover, exposing them to direct attacks. Soon, Russian forces also began deploying dragon drones.
- Thermite has a long history of being used in weapons, dating back to both World Wars. During World War I, German zeppelins dropped thermite-laden bombs, which were innovative at the time. In World War II, both the Allies and Axis powers used thermite-laden explosives in aerial bombing campaigns.
- The Allies reportedly dropped 30 million thermite bombs on Germany and another 10 million on Japan. Thermite grenades were also used to disable artillery without causing explosions.
- In modern conflicts, thermite is typically used by espionage agents or special operations teams because it burns intensely but quietly.
Thermite’s use in warfare is not banned under international law. However, using incendiary weapons like thermite against civilian targets is prohibited under the United Nations’ Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
