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Hey! Be Careful with that Drone!

July 31, 2025 by Beth Gooch

What about using the quadcopter itself as a weapon?

Can a drone be used as a weapon?

It’s fairly common knowledge that countries around the world use drones — or quadcopters, as they’re also called — for military reconnaissance and surveillance missions. They also use weaponized drones to deliver missiles, bombs and even agents of chemical warfare. These unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) are remotely controlled or autonomously guided.

But what about using the quadcapter itself as a weapon?

If you’ve ever experienced a drone hovering near your face, you know the propellers resemble four spinning knife blades.

I recently interviewed a military drone expert, who must remain anonymous for security reasons. I asked, “Can the drone itself be used as a weapon?”

“Yes,” the expert said. “A drone can absolutely inflict serious damage, particularly if it strikes the head.”

The weight and speed of the aircraft could knock someone off balance and perhaps render the person unconscious.

In December 2024, a malfunction at a holiday drone show in Orlando, Florida, left a 7-year-old boy in ICU. A quadcopter hit his chest with such force that it damaged a heart valve. Additionally, the bright lights and camera flashes can temporarily blind someone.

According to Blumenshinelawgroup.com, most private drones weigh about 2.2 pounds. If that weight, with no wind resistance, drops straight down from a legal flying height of 400 feet, it delivers “roughly 939 pounds of force” possibly hitting someone in the head and causing a severe traumatic brain injury.

Those spinning blades can inflict serious lacerations. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration states the most common injuries inflicted by drones are concussions or lacerations.

My expert says there are limitations, though. “There’s a caveat,” the person said. “You can only do it once.”

The impact will likely debilitate the drone as well as the target. And there’s a good chance the damage to the quadcopter will be irreparable.

So, if you, like some of the characters in my books, are ever forced to use a drone as a weapon, remember — you get only one chance.

The US Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration offers these safety recommendations:

  • Do not operate the drone in a careless or reckless manner.
  • Keep your drone within sight and operate one drone at a time.
  • Do not fly a drone over people.
  • Fly during daylight. It’s okay to fly at twilight if your drone has anti-collision lighting.
  • Do not operate the drone from a moving vehicle.
  • Do not fly the drone more than 400 feet above the ground.
  • Keep your distance when taking off or landing and keep at least 16 feet of safety distance from all people around the drone.
  • When using drones around young children, be especially cautious.
  • Keep your fingers and other body parts away from a moving propeller. Propeller guards can create a safe zone and provide some protection from propeller injuries.
  • Stay away from power lines. If a drone becomes entangled in a power line, do not try to retrieve it.
  • Before you operate the drone, read the user manual for safe operation instructions.

If you have a drone, I hope you enjoy it in good health and never sustain or cause an accidental injury.

If an occasion arrives where you need to use the drone to protect yourself or someone else, it’s certainly a formidable weapon. But remember, you only get to use it once.

Lacerations and head wounds are among the most common injuries inflicted by drones. (Courtesy Pixabay)

 

Category: UncategorizedTag: drone danger, drone injuries, drones

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