Far-Right Extremists Are Eyeing Drones for Domestic Attacks

There’s a dark cloud forming on the horizon of the drone world, and it’s a conversation we need to have. A chilling new report from The Guardian has shed light on a deeply disturbing trend: far-right extremist groups in the United States are actively discussing and planning to use drones as weapons for domestic attacks.

These groups are looking at the conflicts in Ukraine and the tactics of drug cartels, and they see our beloved drones not as tools for creativity, but as instruments for their twisted fantasies of a “second civil war.” It’s a sobering wake-up call that puts a massive responsibility on the shoulders of our entire community.

From Online Chatter to Real-World Plots

According to the report, a wide range of extremist groups—from neo-Nazis to accelerationists who want to spark societal collapse—are openly talking about drones in their online forums. They see drones as a “force multiplier,” a cheap and accessible way to conduct reconnaissance or carry out attacks against infrastructure or government targets.

This isn’t just idle talk. The report highlights the case of a Nashville-based neo-Nazi group called Atomwaffen Division (AWD) who was foiled in a plot to use a drone to attack a power station.

Joshua Fisher-Birch, an analyst who has tracked these groups for years, confirms they are emulating terrorist organizations like ISIS, viewing drones as a critical piece of their operational tradecraft.

For those of us who associate drones with capturing a beautiful sunset or mapping a construction site, this is a gut punch. It’s the weaponization of our passion, and it’s happening right in our own backyard. While these groups are not yet building massive drone fleets, the conversation is growing louder, and authorities are rightfully concerned.

The Dark Side of Accessibility

Why are drones so appealing to these extremist groups? For the exact same reasons they appeal to us: they are cheap, easy to get, and incredibly versatile. An off-the-shelf or home-built FPV drone can be modified to carry a small payload or to scout a location without being easily detected.

The very innovation that we celebrate—longer flight times, more secure video links, and higher-resolution cameras—also makes these tools more potent in the wrong hands. It’s the dark side of the dual-use nature of our technology. The same drone that Ørsted uses to service wind farms is being discussed as a tool to bring down a power grid.

The FBI is monitoring these threats, but with potential budget cuts looming and the sheer volume of online chatter, community vigilance is more important than ever. It falls to us, the responsible pilots, to be the eyes and ears that help keep our skies safe.

A Threat to Our Freedom to Fly

This news hits home for every single droner because it directly threatens our hobby and our profession. Every time a drone is used for a malicious purpose, it gives ammunition to those who want to see all drones heavily restricted or banned. The actions of a few extremists could lead to draconian regulations that punish millions of responsible pilots.

The report also warns that some of these extremists are actively trying to get drone training by joining the military, like a neo-Nazi who enlisted in the Marines despite being on an FBI watchlist. They are seeking the skills to turn their violent ideas into a reality. This is a wake-up call that the skies we love to fly in could become a much more complicated and regulated space if this threat is not taken seriously.

The DroneXL Take

As a pilot who has dedicated his life to the creative and professional side of drones, this news out of the US is deeply unsettling. From here, I see drones as a tool that brings the world together, that shows us new perspectives. Reading about groups who want to use them to tear society apart is a profound perversion of everything I love about this technology.

But let’s have some “real talk.” The vast, overwhelming majority of drone pilots are people like us—enthusiasts, artists, and professionals who find joy and purpose in flight. The actions of a hateful few do not define our community. However, we cannot be complacent. Their threat is our problem, because it gives a bad name to the technology we all depend on.

While it’s true that carrying out a large-scale, effective drone attack is much harder than it sounds—facing challenges like battery limits, signal jamming, and FAA regulations—the threat of smaller, localized attacks is very real. This is why we, as a community, must be so vigilant. We need to report suspicious activity. We need to advocate for smart regulations that target bad actors without punishing responsible pilots. And we need to champion the positive, world-changing applications of our technology at every opportunity. Let’s keep our skies a place for good.

Photographs courtesy of The Guardian