The article provides a detailed examination of the ‘great drone scare’ as a component of Western cognitive warfare aimed at manipulating public perception and inciting fear. The piece highlights how fabricated or exaggerated threats, such as drone attacks on civilian areas, are used by governments and mainstream media to justify increased state control and tighten grip on citizens’ rights. It connects this to the concept of a ‘situation of tension’ (‘Spannungsfall’), which could lead to the introduction of compulsory military service and the erosion of civil liberties. The article critiques the Western establishment’s use of fear as a political tool and warns of the potential consequences of this strategy on both national and international levels.