Early Warning on Flamethrowers (Terror Weapons) Appearing in Violent Extremist Arsenals in the U.S.
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C/O Futures Terrorism Research Note Series
Lisa J. Campbell and Robert J. Bunker
16 July 2026
Over the last couple of years, flamethrowers have been appearing in violent extremist arsenals in the U.S. and most recently with the cartels in Mexico. To date, any intended use in an attack has either been interdicted by authorities or such use did not occur due to tactical realities intrinsic to the incident. Given these trajectories, however, it is only a matter of time before the successful use of flamethrowers by violent extremists takes place. It is readily apparent that they would act as a ‘terror weapon’ for both physical effect on humans and PSYOPS (psychological operations) purposes due to the visceral media sensationalism such use would generate. Additionally, flamethrowers do possess functional value in tactical actions under the right conditions for arson and related activities.
