Cheap, acccessible and easy to use: drones are changing warfare in the way the AK-47 assault rifle did

6:41

supplementary video · The Economist on YouTube ↗

Cheap, acccessible and easy to use: drones are changing warfare in the way the AK-47 assault rifle did

the gist

Cheap armed drones are spreading the way the AK-47 did, putting real firepower in the hands of weaker forces. The Kalashnikov, designed in 1947, became the most widespread rifle on Earth because it was cheap, simple and reliable, and the Soviet Union and licensed factories in several countries spread it through the Cold War. Drones now play that role: a single Hezbollah drone killed four soldiers and injured 67 at a base near Binyamina in October 2024, Houthi drones have hit Saudi airports and oil sites, and Myanmar's resistance groups built an improvised air force from commercial drones, learning to modify them on YouTube, Telegram and Discord. In Sudan the UN recorded at least 1,000 civilian deaths from drone strikes in the first five months of 2026.

how it works

Commercial drones carry cameras and can be fitted with small munitions. Their parts are cheap, and open online communities share the know-how, so groups with few resources can build and repair them without a state arms industry.

so what

Air power was once the privilege of wealthy states. When a hobby-grade drone can threaten a well-defended base, the balance between big armies and small groups changes, and so does the risk to civilians.

has this happened before?

Technologies that are cheap and simple tend to escape state control, from the AK-47 to improvised explosive devices to commercial drones. Armies then have to build new defences, which are usually more expensive than the weapon they counter.

fun fact

Mikhail Kalashnikov began designing his rifle while recovering from a wartime injury and named it AK-47 for 'Kalashnikov's automatic' and the year 1947.

Trump and Netanyahu reportedly clash over whether to resume military action against Iran

the gist

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

so what

The United States and Israel have been closely aligned on Iran's nuclear programme and regional threats, so open disagreement between their leaders over military strategy is unusual and closely watched. Whether to resume strikes is a decision with consequences for shipping, oil markets and the wider Middle East.

fun fact

Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel for more years in total than any other person.

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Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch (original) “The Provis…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

10:49

supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.