10 Terrifying War Drones That Give Us Chills

Modern warfare and national defense make for big business the world over. Countless dollars, pounds, rubles, and yuan are spent by nations trying to stay one step ahead of the next. With the largest military budget in the world, the United States is a leader in the development and production of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV, but is fast becoming just one of many nations around the world to build and export the technology.

The American MQ-1 Predator could be considered the first of the modern UAVs. It was capable of long-range flight to perform reconnaissance or strike a target with hellfire missiles. It was used extensively in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan from the early 2000s until it was retired in 2018. Since then, not only has it been replaced with an upgraded model, but dozens more UAVs have entered service and there are dozens more in development. The UAV has completely changed how military operations are executed (via the BBC), giving commanders precise information about troop movements and changing battlefield conditions at a moment's notice.

Newer UAVs will continue to push the boundaries of what is capable and electronic warfare capabilities will make these vehicles more terrifying than ever. Pitting formidable forces with sophisticated high-tech equipment against each other can cause devastating results for civilians caught in the crossfire. Hopefully, you will never have to face any of these terrifying war machines — but here are ten that give us chills.

The Baykar company of Türkiye has emerged as a leading international UAV and drone technology supplier. Its popular export UAV is the Bayraktar TB2, which offers an impressive amount of equipment in a relatively small and lightweight package. Furthermore, being developed in a nation as a member of NATO, it adheres to at least some of the NATO operational specifications, a selling point to many of the 30 member states of the alliance (via Baykar Tech). The TB2 is instantly recognizable by its inverted V-tail and has gained notoriety due to its use by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the Russo-Ukrainian conflict of 2022.

The biggest advantage of the TB2 for a country like Ukraine is the cost. At $10 million for the vehicle and control unit, it comes at a fraction of the cost of American equivalents. They are powered by a 105-horsepower Rotax engine, a notoriously reliable powerplant, and have an operational duration of 27 hours, per Military Today. Furthermore, Forbes notes that the TB2 has provided the Ukrainians a much-needed edge to repel the Russians, whose supplies dwarf those of the Ukrainians, and that the TB2 has managed to eliminate dozens of pieces of Russian equipment while only losing eight of their fleet of thirty. It is probably safe to assume that Russian soldiers should be wary of Bayraktars for the foreseeable future.

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is the biggest and most impressive UAV in the American fleet. It is powered by an Allison/Rolls Royce turbofan engine and boasts a wingspan of 130 feet, per Veteran Life. It is a reconnaissance vehicle and can stay aloft at 60,000 feet for up to 32 hours. It carries an array of advanced communications and detection equipment to provide pinpoint accuracy for advanced strike forces waiting for intelligence worldwide.

Gathering such advanced information does not come cheap. The Global Hawk comes at a cost of $99 million, but that price can go up to $130 million with additional sensors and other equipment for specific capabilities. It is also one of the longest-serving UAVs in the American military with its first deployments happening as early as 2001 before it had completed its prototype phase and is regularly used in NATO missions abroad. The war in Afghanistan rushed its final development and sped up the timeline to be put into operation. It is especially formidable to anyone trying to hide from the US military as it can see with utmost detail just about anywhere in the world, day or night.

In a combat zone, the sight of American warplanes should be enough to cause significant alarm for a possible foe as they are among the best equipped in the world. This could be stepped up exponentially if each of those same fighter jets arrived accompanied by a couple of autonomous drones alongside them. The XQ-58A Valkyrie is in development as part of an autonomous drone program to develop unmanned "wingmen" that can fly using AI based on inputs from the pilots of the manned aircraft, per Defense News. This could expand the firepower and amount of available armaments to the point of total devastation for opposing forces.

For soldiers on the battlefield, the arrival of a couple of F-35 fighters both flanked by a couple of drones would be an ominous sight. If and when this technology gets into operation, it will step up the military capabilities to the next level. Its first successful test flight was in March 2019. To dispel rumors that these are just experimental, only to be in use in some far-off future, The War Zone reports that the first one used for testing is going to the USAF museum, and that it was built with near full capabilities that go well beyond being just a proof of concept demonstration. Future enemies of the US should take notice.

The Switchblade falls into a bit of a different category of UAV as it isn't meant to return home once launched. This is a relatively new and terrifyingly effective class of unmanned vehicles called a loitering munition. The manufacturer calls it a loitering missile and claims it to be ideal for use against targets that are beyond visual range. They are launched from lightweight, portable tubes that can be carried in a backpack and deployed in minutes. Once launched, the user has the ability to control the vehicle for up to ten minutes, using a tablet-style controller with visuals from a camera mounted to the drone. The Switchblade can detonate its payload on impact or be used for reconnaissance and turned back if a mission is aborted.

The Switchblade was among the first weapons sent to Ukraine to aid in its defense against invading Russian forces, according to Bloomberg. They initially received the Switchblade 300, which has a ten-minute loitering time with a range of up to six miles. Plans laid out in May 2022 call for sending Switchblade 600s, which has a loitering time of 40 minutes, a 24-mile range, and can deliver enough explosives to pierce the armor of a tank. Their small size, pinpoint precision aim, and ability to change trajectory after launch makes them a formidable weapon. With a cost, according to Engineerine, of up to $10,000 for the larger variant, the Switchblade is also a highly cost-effective weapon considering it can eliminate vehicles worth millions.

Throughout the cold war, the Soviet Union presented the West with a formidable foe, purported to have one of the most expansive and heavily armed militaries in the world (via History). Since the fall of communism, much has been said of the buildup of the modern Russian military and its aggressive modernization and mobilization efforts. 

Drones are playing an outsized role in combat during Russia's current invasion of Ukraine, and Russia's most used drone appears to be the Orlan-10. According to Global Security, Special Technology Center produces the Orlan in 11 different variants with the primary purpose being reconnaissance. However, Forbes reports that drones recently captured by the Ukrainian military are shown to be carrying common consumer electronics components such as Canon digital cameras held in place with velcro straps and a fuel tank lid from a common soda bottle.

The Russian Orlan drone is not a menacing war drone in the sophisticated way others on this list are. Another captured Orlan shows a ramshackle mix of components made from many Western countries despite the oppressive sanctions in place (via The Defense Post). What makes Orlan give us chills is that its operators are using it to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. They are helping to rain terror from the skies down on innocent Ukrainian lives and it is heartbreaking, proving drones don't have to be sophisticated to be terrifying.