US next generation drone strikes: How AFADS scan targets using AI precision

Two Hellfire missiles fired from a drone killed the leader of al Qaeda, causing surprisingly little damage beyond the target, suggesting they may be a version of the missile shrouded in secrecy and used by the United States to avoid non-combatant casualties.

Officials said the missiles killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri while he stood on a balcony at his home in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan, over the weekend in the biggest blow to the militants since Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011.

A senior administration official told reporters two Hellfire missiles were fired from an unmanned aerial vehicle at Zawahiri. US officials said no one else was killed or wounded in the attack.

US officials said the CIA was responsible for the strike.

In a striking similarity to US operations carried out in May, 2011, Ayman al-Zawahiri was targeted in an Afghan safe house just like Osama Bin Laden who was killed after US commandos stormed his house in Abbottabad in Pakistan.

Social media images of the strike pointed to the hallmarks of a modified Hellfire called the R9X with six blades to damage targets.

Hellfire missiles, mostly made by Lockheed Martin, are precision-guided munitions for air-to-ground strikes that normally cause significant damage, taking down whole buildings and killing or severely injuring anyone nearby. The strike on Zawahiri reportedly caused little damage and no reported loss of civilian casualty indicating the precision of the US-guided missile.

Reports claim the attack was planned over over May and June as US officials monitored the multi-story residence in Kabul as Ayman al-Zawahiri reportedly appeared regularly in the open.

US armed forces fired two Hellfire missiles from a drone flying above the Afghan capital, striking Zawahiri's safe house and killing him.

According to reports, US officials studied the construction of the home aiming to hit Zawahiri without threatening the building's structural integrity to minimise the risk to civilians.

Defence and intelligence officials finalised the plan in June and presented it to Biden in the White House on July 1, using a detailed model of the residence, as was done before the bin Laden raid, reports claimed.

President Biden made the decision on June 25 while still down with COVID-19. The strike involved a US drone, armed with two precision-guided Hellfire missiles, which were launched at 6:18 am Sunday, Kabul time. Zawahiri was reportedly killed on the balcony.

The strike pointed to the likely use of a non-explosive version of the Hellfire, the R9X, which deploys a series of knife-like blades from its fuselage and shreds its target but leaves nearby people and objects intact.

The US uses  MQ-9 Reapers which it controls remotely. Reports claim the US has been fully autonomous Drone swarms(AFADS).

The AFADS target has the ability to lock into its AI to automatically target attacks without human interaction marking a shift in how the US intends to now use drones during combat.

Both the US Army and Navy are reportedly developing autonomous platforms to target enemies amid changes linked to war strategy worldwide.

The use importance of drones has become a key feature in the Ukraine war as Ukraine's army has targeted several Russian military vehicles and tanks from the sky.

In fact, the US has also addressed public concern over drone swarms being used in a manner like weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

Amid US arms supplies to Ukraine, reports claim Ukraine is targeting the Russian military with  "Terminator drones". The drones are reportedly being used to "trick" the Russians to believe they are being pursued by "Skynet".

Hellfire missiles fired by drones in targeted attacks have been known for powerful explosions and often extensive collateral damage and deaths. Since 2017, a handful of other finely-targeted attacks show similar results.

Details of the mysterious weapon leaked out, and it was dubbed the "flying Ginsu," after a famous 1980s television commercial for ostensibly Japanese kitchen knives that would cut cleanly through aluminium cans and remain perfectly sharp.

The drone strike which killed Zawahiri is also called "ninja bomb," the missile has become the US munition of choice for killing leaders of extremist groups while avoiding civilian casualties.

The US MQ-9 Reaper is used by the US for several functions namely:  intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support, combat search and rescue, precision strike, buddy-lase, convoy and raid overwatch.

It uses laser-guided munitions including Guided Bomb Unit-12 Paveway II and air-to-ground missile-114 Hellfire which is believed to be higly accurate. It has a ceiling of up to 50,000 feet and reportedly costs $56.5 million.

The basic crew of a Reaper consists of a rated pilot to control the aircraft and command the mission, and an enlisted aircrew member to operate sensors and guide weapons.

According to the General Atomics, it is collaborating with the US Army to develop a modular open system approach (MOSA) for its MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. 

Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) is a next-generation advanced derivative of the battle-proven Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).

GE-ER delivers long-endurance UAS surveillance, communications relay, and weapons delivery missions during wartime. The relevance of drones has become even more significant after UAV have destroyed several tanks and military vehicles helping in survellience and in hitting Russian targets.

(Photo Courtesy: General Atomics)

According to the company, GE-ER features an automatic takeoff and landing system (ATLS) that allows the aircraft to be launched.

It has a wingspan of 58 feet and is 28 feet long and has Satellite communication points with automatic takeoff and landing which greatly reduces a pilot's workload.

It can launch upto 29,000 feet with maximum endurance of 42 hours. The drones extra fuel supports the Army's reconnaissance, surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) requirements.