The Israeli military has big plans for small drones

For decades, Israel’s Air Force has been operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in varying sizes and applications. Now, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is turning its gaze to small rotorcrafts manufactured by the likes of Israeli Aeronautics Ltd. and Chinese company DJI.

The IDF currently uses over 400 drones and has over a thousand soldiers trained as operators. It uses small, low-cost drones deployed at the company level. Most of the off-the-shelf drones used are manufactured by DJI, with the most widely used model being the DJI Mavic—a modifiable, super light pocket drone that is easy to operate in an urban environment.

According to Liran Antebi, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, the IDF’s increasing use of drones is part of a trend that is seeing armies worldwide adapting simple consumer drones to a variety of combat applications.

“There are many missions to accomplish, and some of them are simply easier when you can cover the area from above,” Antebi told Calcalist in an interview on Thursday.

According to her, larger UAV systems are very costly to buy and operate. “You are always looking to solve problems for less,” she said. “We are at a time when private companies have research and development budgets that are bigger than the defense budgets of small- and medium-sized countries. We have to be able to use off-the-shelf [solutions] because that is what the other side is doing.”

Real-world applications

Major Assaf Shaish / Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

The military started utilizing off-the-shelf drones in the summer of 2014 in one of the violent eruptions in Gaza. Before the introduction of low-cost drones, only the special forces could use real-time aerial photography in ground operations, said Major Assaf Shaish, the head of the IDF’s drone department. Now, drones assist IDF soldiers as they carry out arrests in the narrow alleyways of Palestinian cities.

The IDF supplies ground companies with a kit that typically includes three drones, batteries, command and control devices, and a charging unit. Special ops and reconnaissance units get bigger, more costly drones.

The drones are operated by soldiers that have completed a one-week course, which include lessons on basic aerodynamic principles and aerial photography analysis. Shaish said the IDF is aiming to train as many soldiers as possible to be drone operators.

“Drones let commanding officers make data-based decisions,” Shaish said. “It improves their confidence.”

The department he heads has been developing new operational drones, in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Defense (Mafat) and civilian defense contractors.

Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems Ltd. has been working with the IDF to develop a large drone capable of longer flight time, and drone maker Aeronautics Defense Systems Ltd. is developing a drone that could carry dozens of kilograms worth of equipment.

“We recently started focusing on combat logistics, attempting to replace existing methods of supplying medicine and munitions with drones,” Shaish said. According to him, the IDF is also testing the use of drones for disarming explosives.

“We are testing everything that could have operational value, every option of attacking with a drone,” he said. “Even suicide drones.” According to Shaish, the IDF is not operating attack drones currently, but deployment plans are underway.

Upcoming use cases