New images have surfaced that show just how advanced and capable the Islamic State is in producing key components for advanced weaponry, which include heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles. Footage of a weapons lab in Raqqa in Syria was obtained by Sky News and it shows that scientists from ISIS have been able to produce a home-made thermal battery for use in surface-to-air missile systems. This disproves what many had thought of ISIS as being an amateur terrorist organization without any proper military infrastructure. The footage also shows that ISIS can recommission numerous missiles that were once thought unusable and can also target passenger and military aircrafts, according to Fox News.
The confiscated ISIS video shows engineers and scientists making driverless car bombs aircrafts in European cities as well. The footage comes from what is being called by experts the "Jihadi University." ISIS engineers are seen removing steering columns from the steering wheel to implant remote control devices that steer the car and allow it to accelerate and brake. It has also developed self-regulated mannequins to drive the robotic cars filled with explosives.
Trainees are recruited from different countries such as Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Tunisia, Egypt and Pakistan and given terror training courses using science labs and facilities that are based around the former Equestrian Center at Raqqa, in a report by Townhall.com
Major Chris Hunter, a former Special Forces bomb technician was surprised at the level of sophistication and expertise that was shown in the video. He also says that the video shows that ISIS is now leagues ahead in terms of technical expertise compared to their terrorist predecessors. They had reverse engineered obsolete parts of ammunition into lethal weapons of destruction, according to Sky News.
"The trademark flag-waving masked gunmen I'd expected to see were replaced with clean-shaven, technically adept and highly trained weapons specialists giving expert tuition in how to turn obsolete munitions and ammunition into state-of-the art weapon systems," Hunter said.
