Drone attack causes problems for Israel’s military

In the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hezbollah, the glee over the drone attack on the Israeli army base near Binyamina is unmistakable. The photo on the front page shows two uniformed Hezbollah fighters shooting down a drone. Below it in large letters is the comment: “We can reach any point in Israel with this.”

And indeed: The drone attack is causing problems for the Israeli military. Once again, a drone from Lebanon was able to overcome Israeli air defenses, this time with fatal consequences. At least four soldiers were killed, numerous injured. And the admission by military spokesman Daniel Hagari that Israel’s much-vaunted air defense has a problem here.

“The drone attack is a threat that we have been dealing with since the beginning of the war,” said Hagari. “We must put forward a better defense. We will investigate the case, learn from it and improve. It is our job to better defend our soldiers and the citizens of the State of Israel.”

Speed ​​of a fast car

It is not the first time that drones have overcome Israel’s air defenses. Just a few days ago, one of these small unmanned aerial objects struck a nursing home in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. There were no injuries.

A few weeks ago, a man died in the middle of Tel Aviv when a drone from Yemen tricked the Israeli defense system. Retired Brigadier General and former head of Israel’s air defense, Ran Kokhav, identifies two main reasons why drones are a problem.

“Targets such as drones – or kites – have a very small reflective surface,” says Kokhav. This means that the iron and aluminum content of these unmanned aircraft is very low. “That’s why radar systems have a hard time finding them. Compared to airplanes, they also fly very low and are very slow.” They have about the speed of a fast car.

Growing role in warfare

Drones are playing an increasingly important role in modern warfare. This is evident in Ukraine, and also currently in the Middle East. The drone used by Hezbollah on Sunday is probably a so-called “Mirsad 1” drone. Hezbollah has been using it for over two decades, and the aircraft is based on an Iranian design.

The drone can carry up to 40 kilograms of explosives and reaches a top speed of 370 kilometers per hour. Its range is around 120 kilometers. In the past, Hezbollah used this drone primarily for observation and reconnaissance flights. And, as Sunday clearly showed: increasingly for attack flights too.

They are mainly attacked by the “Iron Dome” and by jet planes that try to shoot them down. This is an ever-increasing challenge for the Israeli air defense.