Although the initial development of these weapons had been quite public, their deployment status has not. Obviously a drone force like the one operated by the Central Intelligence Agency could leverage this technology clandestinely, and in doing so it may help them get around much of the controversy and political instability surrounding the targeted assassination drone program that President Obama famously accelerated during his term in office. Using these tiny weapons would likely result in far fewer innocent deaths and damage to surrounding property than their heavier and somewhat mis-matched counterparts.

Also, having such weapons in a drone's quiver means strikes can be made in places where they couldn't in the past based on a static set of rules of engagement. Aside from a high-power laser against soft targets, these little smart bombs offer the most precise and surgical aerial precision strike capability on the drawing board today. Not just that, but they also allow for smaller unmanned aircraft with less cumbersome logistical footprints to be used offensively in areas where potential targets are known to be operating. It is possible that much of these weapons' operational testing has gone on quietly at a very secure unmanned aircraft test base in the Nellis Range Complex not far from Area 51, and now they are finally showing up operationally in the field.

I know what you are thinking: "It has taken this long to put little guided bombs on small drones?" Yes, it has, even though it is just about the most logical and low-hanging tactical fruit imaginable. Just chalk it up to another frustrating Pentagon mystery.

Other countries have also pursued these pint-sized guided weapons, including Israel, which has used them against Hamas in recent years. Even China's Predator-sized Wing Loong unmanned aircraft features a selection of munitions that include relatively small guided bombs, although they still seem larger than the variety we are talking about here today. Still, these Chinese-built drones are increasingly active in the region, with Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt having acquired their own fleets of the type. The fact is, even if a guided micro-munition was used in the attack, we don't know what type of platform it came from or even who was at its controls.

On an even smaller scale, groups like Hezbollah and ISIS have both pursued the weaponization of hobby-like drones. You can read all about this here. It is possible that ISIS or Hezbollah, both of which oppose each other, and al Qaeda in Syria, could have used a small improvised unguided bomblet to attack al Masri's car. Although doing so would have required a big dose of luck, especially if the vehicle was moving at the time of the attack as these weapons are mainly used against static targets as because just fall to ground via gravity and some stabilizing tail finds or even a badminton shuttlecock's tail. Still, it is possible that such a munition could have found its mark and tore open the al Masri's Kia like a can opener, killing its occupants inside without the presence of significant shrapnel, overpressure or fire.