“Lebanon Debate” – Muhammad Alloush
In recent years, small FPV drones have turned into one of the most disruptive weapons for regular armies, and the most capable of breaking traditional differences in power, technology, and cost. This is the type of drone that increasingly worries Israel today, and is gradually entering Hezbollah’s fighting doctrine.
These drones do not resemble the traditional drones that the world is accustomed to seeing in wars. Rather, they are based on a completely different philosophy. They are a cheap, small, fast weapon that is difficult to detect and can hit precise targets at a very low cost compared to the losses it causes.
The term FPV is an abbreviation for First Person View, meaning “vision from a first-person perspective,” where the operator controls the aircraft through glasses or a screen that transmits the image directly from a camera mounted on the drone itself, giving the operator a feeling as if he is sitting inside the aircraft and driving it himself towards the target. This development has changed the nature of using drones, because the matter no longer depends only on prior programming or reconnaissance flying, but rather on a direct and flexible attack capability that allows for pursuing targets, maneuvering, and precise collision with them. We saw this through the videos published by the resistance’s military media, in which one of the female pilots appeared roaming inside an Israeli site searching for a target that she would collide with.
According to military sources, this weapon reduces the number of human losses because it requires only one person to use it, sitting inside a house, under a roof, or in a closed hideout. It also leads to an intensification of the losses of the enemy, who has not yet found a weapon to combat it. The sources indicate that the concern of the missiles has reached the settlements in northern occupied Palestine, where there is no prior warning to alert the settlers of them and no effectiveness of the Iron Dome against them, and thus their danger, damage, and concern are greater than those caused by the missiles.
The real, broad beginning of this weapon appeared in the Ukrainian-Russian war, although its technical roots go back to previous years associated with enthusiasts of racing aircraft and small civilian aircraft. However, the Russian-Ukrainian war transformed this technology from an amateur toy into an actual weapon of war, and from there it moved to more than one arena, the latest of which is the Lebanese arena.
Sources believe that the resistance today uses drones whose price sometimes does not exceed a few hundred dollars, which can destroy a tank worth millions of dollars, hit an operations room, or target soldiers inside their fortifications with high precision. This is what makes the Israeli army expectant and anxious due to the use of this type of weapon, because the Lebanese environment and border geography give this type of drone exceptional effectiveness.
Sources via “Lebanon Debate” indicate that the battle in southern Lebanon is not a battle of open deserts or distant fronts, but rather short distances, complex terrain, overlapping villages, forests, and heights that allow hiding operating and control platforms, and facilitating the flying of hovercraft. This means that FPV aircraft can suddenly appear within seconds over any site, vehicle, or military gathering, and this is exactly what is happening today on the battlefield.
The main danger of this weapon lies in several elements combined. The sources say, first, its very small size and weak thermal signature, which makes monitoring it with conventional radars very difficult. Second, its ability to fly low and fast and maneuver sharply. Third, its low cost compared to precision missiles or large military drones. Fourth, the possibility of using it in large numbers as part of what resembles “flooding attacks.” This has not yet been approved but is achievable.
Recently, Netanyahu spoke about that the war against the drones may take a long time, and that the Israeli army is directing its focus to strike the infrastructure of the marches. Here, the sources point out that these drones do not need a complex operating structure, airports, or huge equipment, but rather they can be launched from a very small point within minutes, and this is precisely what makes them an ideal weapon of attrition and will make the mission of the Israeli enemy army difficult.
The most dangerous thing for the Israeli is that this weapon strikes one of his most important psychological and military strengths, which is the feeling of technological superiority and complete air control. When he becomes vulnerable to being targeted by a small plane that may not be seen until seconds before the collision, the concept of military safety itself will end, and this is one of the most important effects of the aircraft.
