Na video wey show explosive-laden drone strike Israeli Iron Dome battery don cause plenty talk. Israel famous air-defense system wey cost billions of euros look powerless against small aircraft wey cost few hundred euros. Experts believe the video wey Hezbollah release about one week ago na genuine, though e no don verify.
Hezbollah, wey Germany, US and several Sunni Arab states call terrorist organization, don increase use of FPV (first-person view) drones to attack Israel since March. Several Israeli soldiers don die from such strikes, and many more don wound. Wetin worry Israeli military experts be say plenty of these drones no dey controlled by radio signal but via fiber-optic cables, wey dey unspool from coil. This make locating and jamming their communication virtually impossible with traditional electronic warfare methods.
Since 2024, Ukraine and Russia don use fiber-optic drones on massive scale for their war. Both sides don resort to improvised countermeasures like installing protective nets, cutting drone cables or shooting them down with shotguns. But both nations still no find way to detect these aerial units.
Many observers dey surprised say Israel military no appear to dey better prepared against drones. Neri Zin, managing director of Israeli armaments startup Axon Vision, say armies and defense forces wey prepare for major wars dey face new challenges wey dem never prepare for. He add say large military forces fit be slow to adapt, leaving them vulnerable. According to Zin, a battle tank wey cost tens of millions of dollars fit be defeated by $400 or even less by Chinese FPV drone wey you fit buy for Alibaba.
Yevgen Korniychuk, Ukraine ambassador to Israel, dey surprised say Israel no dey look to learn from Ukraine experience. He tell Israeli news portal Ynet News on May 11 say dem no see much interest or appetite from Israeli leadership for this area. He often hear frustration about fact say Israel dey miss opportunity to save more lives of its soldiers.
IDF spokesperson tell DW say Israel dey closely monitor global theaters of war around the world, and say Israeli armed forces dey at forefront of race to develop tools to counter the threat. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dey find himself under growing pressure to act. He tell Israeli media say he don order establishment of special drone threat project, but he ask public for patience, say this go take time.
Various technical countermeasures dey under discussion, from tools to visually and acoustically detect flying objects, to deploying microwave and laser technology to destroy drone electronics, as well as use of artificial intelligence. Neri Zin say you need simple solution and you need am now, you no fit wait years to develop am. Zin startup dey work on solutions to fend off fiber-optic drones, wey focus on vehicle-mounted systems primarily intended to protect smaller units. The idea be to record surroundings using visual and thermal cameras, analyze data by specially trained AI systems, then send target information to weapon systems. Zin say humans still part of decision-making process, but for particularly hostile environments, autonomous action fit be authorized for certain time period.
Zin say im company already get customers for various countries, including Europe. He add say at the end of the day, drone warfare always dey about economics. Anti-drone defenses must be inexpensive to avoid complete overkill. He mention say one Emirati general talk about cost dem incur during last conflict with Iran, where dem use missile wey cost $8 million against Shahed drones.
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