The ongoing clashes in southern Lebanon revealed a new dilemma facing the Israeli army, after Hezbollah fighters resorted to using hundreds of suicide drones with advanced technology in ground operations, which hindered their interception and led to casualties among the forces.
According to a report published by Maariv newspaper, these aircraft do not rely on radio signals or satellite systems for guidance, but rather rely on optical fibers, which makes them largely immune to the electronic warfare methods that the Israeli army usually uses to monitor or shoot them down.
The report explains that Hezbollah surprised everyone on the battlefield by developing an old method and adding new capabilities to it. Drones have been used on multiple battlefields in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza for a variety of purposes, from gathering intelligence and transmitting data, to carrying out naval attacks or launching munitions, to small suicide drones loaded with explosives.
Drones are considered an effective tool in modern warfare, due to their small size and relative speed, and their ability to operate in different environments, whether in crowded urban areas or in open spaces, day and night, and in most weather conditions. Also, their flying at low altitudes and in narrow spaces makes it more difficult to detect them early or intercept them.
On the other hand, the Israeli army sought to confront this danger through several systems, the most important of which is electronic warfare, which relies on scanning radio frequencies and identifying control signals for drones, allowing them to be controlled or shot down. However, the use of optical fibers in operating these aircraft made them a closed system between the operator and the aircraft, which prevents them from being penetrated or disabled in these ways.
Security sources estimate that Iran has developed and produced hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of these drones for Hezbollah. It was initially believed that its range did not exceed two kilometers, but battles showed that it may exceed ten kilometres. This technology is based on an old principle used in the first generation of anti-armor missiles, where it is controlled via a cable connecting the launch platform and the missile.
According to the testimonies of field commanders in the Israeli army, during the operations, Hezbollah used between dozens and hundreds of suicide drones along with mortar shells and anti-armor missiles, with the aim of slowing or obstructing the advance of ground forces, avoiding direct confrontation and relying on remote combat.
The commander of the “Nahal” Brigade in the Israeli army said that Hezbollah possesses an integrated system that includes means of surveillance and monitoring capabilities, in addition to anti-armor missiles with a range of up to ten kilometers, in addition to drones, which makes the confrontation with it more complex, especially in the near term.
Although the Israeli army confirmed that the total damage caused by these drones is still limited, it acknowledged that they hinder ground operations and may turn into a deadly danger, which forces the Israeli army and military industries to find new technological solutions to confront and overcome them.
