The unmanned attack aircraft first developed in 1917 is

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] The U.S. Army began developing military drones in 1916 while conducting the 'Aerial Target Project.' The primary mission was for weapon-equipped aircraft to fly remotely and strike enemies. The result was the 'Sperry Aerial Torpedo,' developed in 1917. At the time, it was a groundbreaking attack-type drone. It was a single-use aircraft that carried bombs weighing over 100 kg, flying to the target and dropping them, minimizing casualties among friendly forces.

The 2019 film Angel Has Fallen dealt with the terrifying potential of drones. It portrayed an assassination attempt on the president using drones, demonstrating how frightening attack weapons drones can become.

Drones were first deployed in modern warfare during Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. In June, the United Nations released a report revealing that lethal weapons operated by artificial intelligence without human control were used in combat for the first time. The report cited a UN expert panel stating that last year, AI drones operated by the Libyan government forces attacked rebel groups. These drones are known to be the 'Kargu-2' model made by the Turkish defense company STM. The Kargu-2 can operate autonomously using AI functions and can also be remotely controlled. Turkey has supported the Libyan government forces with various weapon systems besides drones.

However, concerns have also been raised. Mary Wareham of the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the international community to establish treaties banning the use of AI weapons. Armed drones are also used by Islamic Shia militias. In June, militias attacked the Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq. The Al-Asad Airbase hosts U.S.-led international coalition forces. At that time, the U.S. military shot down two armed drones over the airbase using the Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) defense system. Since the Biden administration took office last January, attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq have occurred nearly 40 times, with at least three armed drone attacks (excluding the June 6 attack) reported.

Military experts analyzed that the drones used by pro-Iran militias are smaller than the U.S. attack drone MQ-9 Reaper and carry explosives weighing between 4.5 and 60 kg. They noted that Shia militia drone attacks represent a new tactic compared to the past, when rocket launcher attacks were predominant. In April, Iran unveiled its domestically developed military drone 'Kaman 22,' which has an operational range of up to 3,000 km. Iran stated that the Kaman 22 has long-range enemy detection capabilities and can be equipped with various armaments such as 'smart missiles,' enabling it to perform both attack and reconnaissance missions.