Israel’s missile defense architecture is widely regarded as one of the most advanced in the world. With systems like Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow, Israel has consistently proven its ability to intercept and neutralize approximately 90 percent of the rockets and missiles launched by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran over the past year.
These achievements have bolstered Israel’s reputation as a global leader in missile defense technology, but the battlefield is evolving, and as recent events have shown, Israel is facing a new and far more complex threat—from drones.
This past Sunday, a Hezbollah drone attack on an IDF base resulted in the tragic deaths of four soldiers and left 70 others wounded. Though the deadliest, this attack was not an isolated incident. Just days earlier, on Yom Kippur night, another drone crashed into a retirement home in a Tel Aviv suburb. Fortunately, the residents had taken shelter after an alarm was triggered, avoiding further tragedy. In another recent attack, two soldiers were killed when a drone flown from Iraq struck their base in the Golan Heights.
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Since the devastating Hamas assault on southern Israel last October, Israel has been attacked by thousands of missiles but also with more than 1,500 drones. Most of these UAVs originated in Lebanon; others were launched from Yemen, Iran, and Iraq, and most have been intercepted.
The sheer number and the ability by some of the drones to evade radar detection highlight a dangerous shift in modern warfare.
For years, drones were considered the exclusive domain of large, established militaries. The Israel Defense Forces, for instance, boast one of the world’s most advanced drone fleets, using them for reconnaissance, precision strikes, and other operations. However, this latest conflict has demonstrated that terrorist groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran-backed militias are now employing drones with deadly effectiveness.
Systems like Iron Dome and Arrow are highly effective against fast-moving, descending rockets, but drones operate differently. They often fly slowly and at low altitudes, making them much harder to detect and intercept with conventional missile defense systems.
One of the hurdles is the drones’ quiet operation. Many of these UAVs are powered by electric engines and their fuselage can be made with little metal, rendering them difficult to detect with traditional radar systems, which are optimized for faster more metallic threats. This low visibility allows drones to slip through Israel’s missile defense shield, posing a unique risk to civilian and military targets.
When missile defense systems cannot engage, the Israeli Air Force is forced to deploy aircraft, including its advanced F-35 fighter jets, to shoot down drones. This creates a logistical and financial mismatch, where a highly sophisticated, $100 million jet is tasked with taking down a drone that may cost as little as $1,000. This asymmetry underscores the urgent need for Israel to develop more cost-effective and efficient methods to counter enemy drones.
Detecting drones earlier and intercepting them with simpler systems has become a top priority for Israel. During Sunday’s attack, two drones were initially detected. While one was successfully shot down, the other was assumed to have crashed after it disappeared from radar. Tragically, that assumption proved incorrect.
The drone used in the Sunday attack was identified as the Mirsad-1, a Hezbollah UAV modeled on Iran’s Mohajer-2. This drone can carry up to 40 kilograms of explosives and has a range of 120 kilometers, making it a potent weapon in the hands of Israel’s enemies.
Israeli defense companies are working around the clock to find solutions. One promising system is the Iron Beam, a laser-based system that is reportedly close to operational status. While initially developed to intercept rockets and missiles, Iron Beam is said to be capable of intercepting drones as well. But just being able to shoot down a drone is not enough. Any defense is only as good as its detection and that is a challenge of even greater importance.
Technology alone may not be enough. Israel’s enemies, including Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen, have not only gained access to drones but are also believed to be producing them domestically. Reports suggest that Hezbollah has established its own production lines in Lebanon, reducing its reliance on Iranian imports and ensuring a steady supply of UAVs for future conflicts.
This drone threat is not unique to Israel. Around the world, drones are changing the face of modern warfare. In the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, drones have proven critical for both sides. Ukraine has used drones to slow Moscow’s advances. What this conflict demonstrates is that drones provide a strategic advantage to the inferior side, allowing smaller forces to punch above their weight in asymmetric warfare.
For Israel and its Western allies, this shift represents a new reality in the conduct of war. Drones have effectively put high-tech warfare in the hands of non-state actors and terrorist organizations. Recognizing this shift requires more than just technological innovation—it demands a rethinking of how wars are fought and how resources are allocated. Israel and other Western nations must adjust quickly to this new battlefield, where drone warfare is becoming the norm, not the exception.
Yaakov Katz is a senior fellow at JPPI, a global think tank for the Jewish people, and the author of Shadow Strike: Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power and Weapon Wizards: How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
