Hezbollah’s fiber-optic drones have become a key weapon in the Lebanese militant group’s war against Israel, killing at least 12 Israeli soldiers since March. The drones, which are extremely difficult to detect, have been used to target Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Israel’s Response
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have begun deploying hundreds of thousands of square meters of mesh netting to protect troops and bases. Soldiers have also been provided with shotguns and fragmenting rounds to take down approaching drones. The IDF has launched an appeal to private tech and defense companies to develop and deploy effective countermeasures.
One such company, Airwayz, has developed software that can manage low-altitude airspace and identify potential threats. The company’s chief technology officer, Shai Kurianski, said that giving soldiers more warning time could significantly reduce the effectiveness of the drones. “Most of the warnings that the soldiers have – it’s when they hear the drone coming and they have about three, four seconds,” Kurianski said. “If you will give them 20 seconds of warning or 30 seconds of warning, the results will be completely different.”
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
