So far, the Israeli Defense Forces have not been willing to comment on the report. Even if it ends up being inaccurate, it is a good reminder of the real risks that go into using any advanced weapon system that is loaded with highly sensitive, proprietary technology on the modern battlefield. Dumping a stealth drone intact into Iran's hands or a stealth Black Hawk's tail into Pakistani hands was may be the most glaring illustrations of this, but just in 2017, an AIM-9X Sidewinder was fired over Syria by a US Navy Super Hornet and fell away from the aircraft as a dud. That missile ended up somewhere. As far as we know, its location was never identified by US forces or its allies, but it would have been potentially a huge technological coup if Russia were able to get their hands on it or even parts of it, just like the Stunner.

This issue isn't new, foreign materiel exploitation programs that are fed via espionage were staples of the Cold War. But it will only become more magnified as the years go by and evermore complex and "exquisite" aircraft and munitions that are literally made up of and packed full of highly-guarded technology proliferate around the globe. The F-35 enterprise is probably the most obvious risk when it comes to the potential sudden loss of massive amounts of sensitive technology in the years to come. The looming migration from manned mechanized warfare to unmanned mechanized warfare also has unique concerns in this regard.

We will keep you up to date if we hear anything more about the missing Stunner. I wouldn't be too surprised if the Russians eventually return it to Israel as they and the U.S. supposedly demanded some time ago. But by then the damage would have been done.

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com