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A statement from the ministry mentioned both kinetic shootdowns and using counter-drones against attack drones.
By YONAH JEREMY BOB FEBRUARY 5, 2025 15:27
Defense Minister Israel Katz while testing 22 tecnologies for stopping drone attacks, February 5, 2025
(photo credit: ARIEL HARMONI/DEFENSE MINISTRY)
The Defense Ministry on Wednesday announced that it completed a series of tests of 22 technologies for preventing drone attacks relating to nine defense companies working on the issue in parallel.
Sources said that at least some of the methods of defense from drones that were tested successfully involved kinetic shoot-downs.
Despite the claimed success, no defense officials would confirm a period of months, not even six months off, for a date when the new systems would be reliable and operational on a wide basis.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said "in the near term," but top defense officials have been using such non-committal catch-phrases for well over half a year, including periods of time when Hezbollah drones repeatedly struck and killed Israelis.
Pictures that were publicized appeared to show a somewhat long-distance heavy machine gun anti-aircraft gun, with some similarities to the Vulcan anti-aircraft system the IDF used for decades until the 1980s.
The system did appear to be smaller, which might mean it might also be cheaper to produce, a key element for long-term defense, according to sources, given that the attack drones themselves are often very cheap.
A statement from the ministry mentioned both kinetic shootdowns and using counter-drones against attack drones.
In October 2024, the Defense Ministry announced that it had just held an event to try to expedite identifying and deploying new systems for defending against drones within months.
While the ministry statement was very optimistic about moving fast toward solutions, the defense establishment had already taken harsh criticism for months for moving too slowly and being too bureaucratic about addressing the drone threat.
Some current and former defense officials have said that the establishment is too used to expensive, advanced-sounding weapons and has trouble adapting to using low-tech retrograde solutions against low-tech threats like many of the simple and cheap but deadly drones Israel faces.
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The Defense Ministry's statement
According to a statement by the ministry, “This groundbreaking event showcased various solutions as part of an expedited competitive process initiated by the Defense Minister several weeks prior to rapidly develop innovative interception solutions in response to the evolving security landscape.”
Next, the ministry said, “The trial took place at a testing field in southern Israel, with the participation of eight Israeli industries, ranging from major companies (Elbit Systems, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries) to startup firms, presenting technological solutions for UAV interception.”
“Solutions that meet the threshold requirements in the demonstration phase will advance to accelerated development and operational testing,” stated the ministry.
The statement issued on Wednesday seemed extremely similar to the statement from October 2024, though sources indicated that significant progress had been made in recent months.
Also, sources said that sometimes systems needed to be deployed in the field on various quiet limited trial bases before all their kinks and limits could be worked out.
The ministry has said that the defense industries deployed prototypes of their interception systems, which were developed with the ministry’s research and analysis division to demonstrate “UAV interception capabilities at various ranges and flight altitudes.”
Moreover, the ministry has noted, “After analyzing the trial results, the Ministry of Defense will select several technologies to enter an accelerated development and production process. This aims to deploy new operational capabilities within months. CEOs of defense industries and senior officials from the IDF and Ministry of Defense attended the trial.”
The ministry also noted that 20 American anti-drone experts were present to witness elements of the drills, something which will enhance bilateral defense cooperation.
Previous defense minister Yoav Gallant and current Defense Minister Israel Katz have both talked about the drone threat as a multi-arena threat originating from Iran, which supplies UAVs to Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, and even launches them itself. To face this threat, they have both said Israel must concentrate the national effort of all bodies dealing with the issue to produce operational solutions quickly.
Director General of the IMoD and IDF Chief of Staff nominee, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir has stated that the ministry has invested hundreds of millions of shekels in developing, extensively procuring, and deploying defensive capabilities, adding that more recently, Gallant ordered “an unrestricted 'green track' for any entity—a major industry or a startup—that can deliver an effective solution.”
“These will constitute a more comprehensive defensive strategy with the laser system and other technologies we're advancing,” Zamir has said.
Head of the DDR&D, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold has explained, “The defense establishment is committed to developing a holistic defensive response to the UAV threat, mirroring our approach to threats in higher aerial strata…encompassing detection, tracking, and interception layers.”
What were the products included on the list?
The ministry listed companies and their products included:
Elbit Systems: has presented IRON HAWK, an interceptor drone-based system for UAV interception, as well as demonstrated an advanced radar-based interception system with interceptor drones, a hard-kill drone-based defense system against missiles and drones, and an integrated 30mm cannon with radar-enabling long-range detection and interception.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI): has presented "Precise Falcon" and an additional advanced system for long-range interception capabilities, as well as presented the C-UAS development, an autonomous spatial system for handling UAV threats based on SOI. The solution includes a sensor array and distributed interception systems, including an advanced technology concept electric missile for long range, a short-range drone interceptor, and a 30mm cannon.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems: has demonstrated TYPHOON, a 30mm projectile interception system for various threats, offering long-range capabilities and strategic asset protection, as well as the Mini Typhoon, a remote-controlled medium-range weapon system for aerial threat interception, alongside innovative drone-based interception systems.
AIROBOTICS: Exhibited an advanced system featuring a reusable UAV interceptor.
XTEND: Collaborated with AXIOMA and Elbit Systems to develop an advanced drone interception system.
GENERAL ROBOTICS: Introduced PITBULL, a system designed for medium-range projectile interception.
SMARTSHOOTER: Unveiled a unique development providing precise guidance for a broad spectrum of interception methods and threat types.
TAMAR - rapid and automatic firing defense weapons that were thought to be obsolete but now may be useful again against drones.
ROBOTICAN - demonstrated two advanced multi-purpose drone interception systems.
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