Fiber-optic, first-person view (FPV) drones have become a key weapon in the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah\u2019s war against Israel in recent months \u2013 bypassing Israel\u2019s sophisticated defense systems by duplicating an asymmetric warfare tactic that first emerged in the Russia-Ukraine war.<\/p>\n
At least 12 Israeli soldiers have been killed by Hezbollah\u2019s drones since the conflict reignited in March \u2013 one third of Israeli fatalities in Lebanon \u2013 and the military is scrambling to find ways to counter the threat.<\/p>\n
Unlike the drones Hezbollah has previously deployed against Israel, the fiber-optic FPV drones \u2013 often no larger than a dinner plate \u2013 are extremely difficult to detect. The key to their lethality is a spool carrying miles of thin, fiber-optic cable that tethers the drones to their pilot, which means they do not emit any radio signals. That makes them both extremely difficult to detect and impossible to jam using electronic warfare methods.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drone threat is a challenge, but we will overcome it,\u201d the Israeli military\u2019s chief of staff Eyal Zamir said last month, adding that \u201coperational and technological solutions\u201d are being developed and implemented.<\/p>\n
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Drones used by Hezbollah are effective in their simplicity. Instead of a wireless signal that controls the drone remotely, the fiber-optic cable hardwires the drone directly to its operator. – Cyril Theophilos\/CNN<\/p>\n
Race for countermeasures<\/p>\n
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began by deploying hundreds of thousands of square meters of mesh netting \u2013 which can catch the drones before they reach their target \u2013 to protect troops in southern Lebanon and bases in northern Israel. It has also provided soldiers with shotguns and fragmenting rounds that can be used to take down approaching drones at close range.<\/p>\n
But in order for those weapons to be effective against drones, soldiers first have to know they\u2019re coming.<\/p>\n
The IDF has yet to disclose how \u2013 or whether \u2013 it has improved its ability to identify and track these drones, but it has launched an appeal to private tech and defense companies to develop and deploy effective countermeasures.<\/p>\n
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The Israeli military began by deploying hundreds of thousands of square meters of mesh netting \u2013 which can catch drones before they reach their target \u2013 to protect troops in southern Lebanon and bases in northern Israel. – Cyril Theophilos\/CNN<\/p>\n
Last month, many of those companies gathered alongside military officials to address what was clearly an urgent problem requiring novel solutions. The firms included those developing non-radio frequency sensors to identify fiber-optic drones and others working on ways to intercept and neutralize the drones before they can hit their target.<\/p>\n
Among them was Shai Kurianski, the chief technology officer and co-founder of Airwayz, which says it has developed software that can manage low-altitude airspace and identify potential threats. It\u2019s a technology that was most recently put to use by the Miami Police Department to help protect a FIFA World Cup stadium from drone threats.<\/p>\n
Because Hezbollah\u2019s fiber-optic drones are so hard to detect, experts say multiple types of sensors are often needed simultaneously to accurately identify incoming threats \u2013 among them, optical, acoustic, radar and laser-based systems.<\/p>\n
Airwayz says its system fuses data from multiple sensors to rapidly identify friendly and hostile drones alike.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of the warnings that the soldiers have \u2013 it\u2019s when they hear the drone coming and they have about three, four seconds,\u201d Kurianski said. \u201cIf you will give them 20 seconds of warning or 30 seconds of warning, the results will be completely different.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s our children out there\u2019<\/p>\n
Like others in Israel\u2019s high-tech industry, Kurianski is motivated by a sense of urgency, as Israeli soldiers appear to be largely defenseless against this new Hezbollah threat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our children out there in Lebanon that are getting those FPV explosives and we will not wait with that,\u201d Kurianski said.<\/p>\n
But alongside that sense of urgency, many Israelis also feel a frustration that the Israeli military was insufficiently prepared for a threat that many saw coming.<\/p>\n
Fiber-optic drones first emerged on the battlefield in Ukraine two years ago. Ukrainian officials have said they warned their Israeli counterparts about the danger and offered to help Israel prepare countermeasures for the day these cheap drones \u2013 which cost only $300 to $400 each \u2013 fell into the hands of Israel\u2019s enemies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t see much interest or appetite from the Israeli leadership in this area,\u201d Ukraine\u2019s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, told Israel\u2019s Ynet news site in May. \u201cI don\u2019t want to speculate about the reasons for that. I often hear frustration about the fact that Israel is missing an opportunity to save more lives of its soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is a deadly reality that has become undeniable as Hezbollah has posted dozens of videos showing its drones infiltrating Israeli bases and forward operating positions, and targeting Israeli troops in the field.<\/p>\n
Current and former Israeli military officials have also acknowledged that Israel was underprepared for the drone threat.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. Yaron Rosen (Res.), the former chief of the IDF\u2019s Cyber Staff, said the military was \u201ccompletely overwhelmed\u201d by the multitude of threats and arenas it has been engaged in.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone was talking about it like, \u2018Guys it\u2019s coming,\u2019 but no one really knew and other things were occupying our minds, especially Iran,\u201d said Rosen, who is also the executive chairman of Airwayz.<\/p>\n
He said the IDF is now \u201cdoing everything it can\u201d to close the gap and hopes to see a \u201csharp decline\u201d in the effectiveness of Hezbollah\u2019s drones \u201cin the next few months.\u201d<\/p>\n