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Even so, one of the most common objections I hear is simply "it sounds like weird sci-fi stuff" and then people dismiss the idea as totally impossible. Honestly, this really seems to be how people react to it!

  • "Guided bullets" exist; see DARPA's EXACTO program.
  • Assuming the "sniper drone" uses something like .50 BMG, you won't be able to fit enough of a payload into the bullet to act as a smoke grenade. You can't fit a "sensor blinding round" into it.
  • Being able to fly up 1000m and dodge incoming fire would add a lot of cost to a drone. You would be entering into the territory of larger UAVs. The same goes for missile launching drones.
  • Adding the required range would also be expensive. Current small consumer drones have a range of about 8 miles (DJI Mavic) so taking significant ground with these would be difficult.
  • You would need a considerable amount of relay drones if you want them to stay relatively low to the ground and avoid detection. The horizon - and in some cases, trees and hills - will block the communications lasers. This is the main reason we don't see point-to-point links used more often.
  • In general you are talking about adding a great deal of capability to these drones, but this will balloon the cost. Adding capabilities also increases weight, which further increases cost and logistics footprint. The growth in cost to size is exponential.
  • The force composition presented seems to be geared towards anti-armor at the expense of all else. There isn't an answer for infantry in buildings here.
  • You cannot "ignore" aircraft! Bombs may not be able to target moving drones, but they can target your command and control infrastructure, your logistics, and your industry. 
  • You will need stationary infrastructure because you will need to maintain and repair those drones.
  • You can't occupy territory with drones. Infantry will still have a place enforcing the occupation, gathering HUMINT, and performing labor duties.
  • You would be able to counter these drones with flak guns. Anti-air cannons firing explosive shells can destroy drones, and the drones may not be agile enough to dodge them. Fuzed explosive shells can be very cheap, so this would bring the economic calculation back in favor of conventional forces.
  • The US military seems to believe it will need to conduct a lot of tunnel warfare in the near future. There are miles of tunnel networks beneath many major cities in the forms of sewers, drains, subways, and nuclear bunkers. You can't use drones here.