The Drones are coming

If you were born too late to be part of the Biafran experience in the mid sixties, I am sorry for you because you don’t know what you missed. Those of us in the heat of it all still recollect how we ran into “bomb shelters” when prompted to do so. For those who survived, it was fun except that it was fun that was not funny. All I know is that it is the memory of those 30 months of controlled madness that has kept project Nigeria in one piece till date.

So when we are told by the Americans that the next World War will be fought in the comfort of the four walls of the Pentagon, no one is amused. War Technology (the art of killing) has reached a level where unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) now replace Fighter Planes with Fighter Pilots in actual combat. These drones (I believe that is what they call them) are remotely controlled from bases in the USA and sent to take out targets in far off Afghanistan with pin point precision. The import of this development is that there will be neither room nor time to run into any form of shelter when these drones come calling. If you perform a miracle by bringing down any of these drones, what you will find inside is nothing – sweet nothing except a bag of charred metal and junk of cables you may not find useful!

The prospects of fighting a Third World War are therefore frightening, to say the least. Over and above the Nuclear Arsenals which countries are amassing that are enough to wipe out our entire planet ten times over, there is now this new introduction into the killing mix – Drones reportedly capable of travelling several thousand miles to take out targets and return to base unmanned. My only consolation is that so far, it does not appear to be confined to one country alone. The Russians are developing them; the Chinese are reportedly in the race while Japan has their fair share in the mould so may be someday we may be able to develop our own Nigerian drones – Insha Allah. That is why I personally believe that the Third World War, as and when it comes, will be fought – won and lost by all – within 30 minutes! The only difference will be that there will be no one to tell the story. Just as well too because War Historians have a way of telling lies knowing fully well that you have no way of checking the veracity of most of the details!

Tata, everybody

Napoleon