Plus you'd see this 1-foot wide conspicuous object hovering in front of them, since you can't project a toxic gas in a targeted way from afar.

You don't need swarms to release vaporized agents. Just one low flying crop duster. That's the whole point of gas, it spreads everywhere so that you don't need to target.

HN has gone off the deep end with defense articles. Can't wait for the next headline to just say IT'S HAPPENING.