Rising prevalence of drone attacks in warfare and terrorism and the implications for medical management of major incidents

As drone technology advances, the likelihood of their use in terrorism increases. The emergence of artificial intelligence–controlled drone swarms and ability to carry alternative payloads poses significant challenges and risks to civilians and emergency services, and the injury patterns observed from explosive device–equipped drones tend to affect predominantly the head and neck, chest and upper limbs. Emergency services are currently unprepared for such an incident in the UK.