Coastal attack craft posed threats long before modern uncrewed weapons. Clarke recalls using 1945 guidance recommending operations beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast to challenge claims that a 100-mile danger zone was unprecedented. German remote-controlled explosive boats in World War I and Japanese crewed explosive boats in World War II supplied earlier versions of some modern threats. The Royal Navy's interwar Queen Bee programme used radio-controlled aircraft from HMS Argus for antiaircraft training and supplies the explanation given here for the name drone. Improved technology makes these systems more effective without making the underlying concept new.
Notable Point · 56:31-59:09
Uncrewed naval weapons long before modern drones
Remote-control boats and Queen Bee target aircraft form part of a longer history of small craft threatening ships close to shore.