Israeli defense company says this trigger is programmed to shoot drones

Thailand’s Ministry of Defence began fielding a new computerized rifle trigger designed to help soldiers shoot down small drones, according to last month’s announcement by the device’s manufacturer, Israel Weapon Industries, or IWI. Company officials consider the deployment a real-world endorsement of the Arbel Anti-Drone System as a potential solution for countering drones on the battlefield.

In an interview with Defense News, Semion Dukhan, IWI’s marketing director, described common counter-drone options such as lasers, high-powered electronics, interceptors and specialized ammunition as “not viable in the long run.” He argued that while these technologies can be effective, they often have limitations involving cost, mobility or ease of use. Arbel’s advantage, he said, is its practicality.

“The Arbel is putting a computer to the trigger mechanism of the weapon, so in the context of an anti-drone rifle, what we do is we put the computer in the lower receiver of a standard AR-15 rifle … and with this computer, we control the trigger mechanism of the weapon,” Dukhan said.

He explained that Arbel functions somewhat like a fully automatic weapon in that depressing and holding the trigger engages the system. “So you as an operator, the first bullet that you will shoot, will be purely mechanical … and from the second bullet onward, the system controls the rate of fire to a specific rate of fire that we analyzed as optimal,” he said.

Dukhan said IWI determined the “optimal” rate by analyzing thousands of test shots. “We came down to the specific figure … to get the most chances to hit this kind of target,” he said, describing a target measuring 10 to 15 inches in diameter and flying at roughly 60 kilometers per hour at ranges of 150 to 200 meters.

When IWI unveiled Arbel in 2024, the company said it was intended to improve marksmanship under stressful conditions. Early promotional videos show an operator depressing and holding the trigger before Arbel releases rounds once the system determines the conditions are right.

Dukhan explained that the original version calculates stability and range before discharging a round, whereas the anti-drone version uses an algorithmically calculated rate of fire. “For the anti-drone, it’s only timing. When you, as a user, use the anti-drone algorithm and put it on the Arbel anti-drone safety position, then it only works on timing,” he said.

He added that the option is more “predictable” than the stability-based version, leaving the operator to focus on aiming and following the target. He argued that Arbel can turn anyone with a rifle into a counter-drone operator. 

Before Thailand, approximately 25 other countries had already adopted the Arbel system for improving marksmanship or countering drones, according to IWI.