Israeli report: More than 100 attempts to counter Hezbollah drones have failed
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth has reported that the Israeli army and the country’s military industries have tested more than 100 different solutions so far to detect and intercept Hezbollah’s explosive drones, but none has been able to show the required effectiveness. The report described the inability to contain the threat as one of the Israeli army’s serious challenges in southern Lebanon.
According to the report, Hezbollah has sharply increased its use of explosive drones against Israeli forces in recent months, with a number of these attacks causing injuries and damage. Yedioth Ahronoth wrote that since the beginning of March, more than 70 attacks using this type of drone have been reported.
The report said that after the ceasefire took effect in mid-April, FPV explosive drones, which rely on fibre-optic connections, have become Hezbollah’s main attack tool against Israeli forces. The newspaper said these drones are small, are guided by live video and can deliver a warhead weighing several kilograms to a target tens of kilometres away.
The paper added that their fibre-optic connection allows them to bypass some electronic warfare and jamming systems, making it harder for the Israeli army to counter them. According to the report, their ability to fly at low altitude and their high precision have turned them into a threat to forces stationed in southern Lebanon as well as settlements near the border.
Yedioth Ahronoth also wrote that the Iron Drone Raider System was among the solutions used in southern Lebanon as part of operational trials, but doubts had previously been raised over its effectiveness. The system includes radar and an interceptor drone and seeks to stop the attacking drone by firing a net.
The report went on to say that concern over the threat from Hezbollah’s attack drones prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order the launch of a special project to find a way to counter them. However, the newspaper acknowledged that recent events show Hezbollah still retains the ability to use these drones and target Israeli forces in southern Lebanon despite military pressure.
Hezbollah has been active for years in southern Lebanon and border areas with Israel, and drones have in recent years become one of the main tools in clashes between the two sides. FPV drones have also been used more widely in modern warfare because of their low cost and difficulty to intercept.
