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Israel relies on suicide drones as a key technology of modern warfare. The Ministry of Defence has announced a tender for the purchase of 5,000 FPV drones, which are expected to become a new tool in the fight against the state’s enemies, according to the Detaly news portal.
This decision was a response to the change in tactics on the battlefield – drones have already proven their effectiveness in Ukraine, as well as in recent Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.
Suicide drones: a revolution on the battlefield
FPV drones were originally designed for racing due to their speed and manoeuvrability. However, the war in Ukraine demonstrated their impressive effectiveness in destroying armoured vehicles.
According to the British think tank Royal United Services Institute, FPV drones destroy up to 70% of Russian equipment on the battlefield.
The Israeli Ministry of Defence wants to get drones capable of:
– work at a distance of up to 10 km;
– stay in the air for at least 8 minutes;
– carry a combat load of 2.5 kg of explosives;
– have thermal imagers for night attacks.
Restoring priority after Hamas strike
After the 7 October terrorist attack, when Hamas militants used drones to disable automated defence systems on the border, Israel revised its strategy.
In recent months, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have been actively using FPV drones to destroy terrorist groups in Gaza and eliminate Hezbollah militants on the northern border.
At the same time, Iran has announced the purchase of thousands of similar drones, which only increases the strategic need for Israel to develop its own production capacity.
Israel refuses to import, but depends on China and Taiwan
Due to international restrictions on arms sales imposed after the Gaza war, the Israeli Ministry of Defence has relied on domestic producers.
However, the tender contains important components that will have to be purchased from China and Taiwan:
– The servo motors for the propellers are manufactured by a Taiwanese company;
– The propellers are supplied by China’s HQProp;
– communication modules – Chinese Team Blacksheep.
This can create logistical risks, especially in the event of sanctions or political changes.
Will the lessons of Ukraine be taken into account?
The decision to use a standard Wi-Fi connection has drawn criticism: Ukraine has already faced massive Russian electronic warfare (EW), which has caused the effectiveness of FPV drones to decline.
To overcome this problem, both sides in Ukraine have started using drones controlled by fibre-optic cables, which make the drone almost invulnerable to interference.
It remains to be seen whether Israel will take this experience into account in its FPV drone modernisation programme.
What’s next?
The Ministry of Defence has stated that all procurements are carried out in accordance with security requirements, but the details of the tender remain closed.
25 Israeli companies, including Xtend, Dronix and Tehiru, have already submitted bids. In the coming months, it will become clear what decisions the Israeli army will receive and how they will affect the balance of power in the region.
