Hezbollah Challenges Israeli Army with Cheap Fiber Optic Drones

Reference News Network, May 15 report According to a report from the British "Guardian" website on May 12, three Israeli soldiers near a tank first heard a sound before identifying its source. By the time they realized it was a drone, it was too late. As the small fiber-optic first-person view (FPV) drone exploded beside them, the screen went black. The attack resulted in one soldier's death and six injuries.

The report states that as Hezbollah adopts this weapon as a core piece of equipment for guerrilla warfare against Israel, videos of drone attacks on Israeli tanks, soldiers, and bulldozers are becoming increasingly common in southern Lebanon.

These types of drones are inexpensive, single-use, and difficult to evade. Unlike radio-controlled drones, they are connected to the operator via fiber optics that can extend for several kilometers, making them immune to electronic warfare defense systems. This poses a severe challenge to the Israeli military. Similar to radio-controlled FPV drones, this type of drone's FPV control feature allows the operator to directly maneuver the small drone carrying explosives through real-time footage, detonating upon impact with the target.

An Israeli military official stated that Israel "has recognized the drone threat" and is working on developing "capabilities to detect and intercept such weapons." The Israeli military appointed a senior officer last week to lead the search for countermeasures, and Israel is also using FPV drones on the Lebanese battlefield.

Currently, Hezbollah is increasingly turning to low-cost domestically manufactured drones. A Hezbollah source indicated that the production cost of a single drone ranges from $300 to $400, with production utilizing 3D printing technology, and the components are all "commercially available electronic components that can be used for both military and civilian purposes."

The use of FPV drones also aligns with Hezbollah's return to the essence of guerrilla warfare. In the last war, the organization failed to prevent the Israeli military from penetrating its territory in southern Lebanon. Now, they have raised the cost of Israeli occupation through drone attacks.

These types of drones are reportedly capable of flying dozens of kilometers, forcing Israel to reassess the depth of its buffer zone in southern Lebanon. Previously, Israel had defined the buffer zone's depth as at least 11 kilometers based on the range of guided anti-tank munitions used by Hezbollah in the last war, which were difficult to intercept and used to harass the Israeli military and northern Israeli towns.

So far, it has been proven that Israel's billion-dollar "Iron Dome" defense system cannot effectively intercept such small drones. Recent video footage shows Israeli soldiers attempting to shoot down drones using standard weapons.

Israeli military sources say that intelligence departments across the armed forces are conducting research to develop "more efficient early warning systems," while also advancing the development of advanced weapons to find ways to counter this new threat.

Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Foreign Policy Studies' Eurasia Program, explained: "Fiber-optic FPV drones cannot be disrupted by electronic warfare means and are harder to detect."

He stated that it is not only the Israeli military that finds it difficult to respond to such drones. Many countries around the world have prioritized the development of countermeasures to address the widespread adoption of "Ukrainian-style" drone tactics in global conflicts.

Videos released by Hezbollah show that the organization is becoming increasingly skilled in drone operation technology. Footage released at the beginning of the war showed that drones were intercepted by the active protection systems of Israeli tanks, or hit targets without causing casualties, while a video released by the organization last week showed an FPV drone calmly flying towards a tank in the Kantarah area of southern Lebanon, while another drone filmed from a distance to confirm the hit on the target—this tactic is borrowed from Ukraine.

Fiber-optic drones first appeared in the Ukraine war at the end of 2024, with both sides using them as experimental equipment to counter radio interference. Their astonishing combat effectiveness quickly became apparent, and Russia, with its superior cable supply, has been particularly efficient in utilizing this type of weapon. Hezbollah sources admit that the organization has closely monitored the devastating effects of fiber-optic drones in the Ukraine war. (Translated by Liu Zongya)