Clemens Schindler

Terrorist attacks and active shooter events are among the most complex security challenges in our immediate environment. Many find comfort in old sayings like, “Oh, that won’t happen here,” or “What would anyone want here anyway?” Presumably, this was also the mindset of employees at a McDonald’s branch or a Saturn store in the northwest of Munich—until July 22, 2016. On that day, the gunman David S. killed nine people in Munich, with his first five victims at the aforementioned fast-food restaurant.

Within 14 days, two people are deliberately pushed in front of oncoming trains in Voerde (NRW) and Frankfurt am Main. A 34-year-old woman and an eight-year-old boy lose their lives in these incidents. As the initial shock subsides, the debate over safety at train stations and platforms begins.

For some time now, a video has been circulating online that makes even seasoned security experts break into a sweat. It depicts a drone equipped with a fully automatic firearm and targeting optics, supposedly capable of neutralizing any target. At the end of the video, the pilot flies the drone into a vehicle, which then explodes in a fiery blast. Spoiler: The only real thing in this video is the so-called drone pilot. Here’s a detailed analysis.