Bending it is now proving to be a much more difficult task mainly due to the use of fiber-optic controlled missiles with which the Shiite organization is targeting Israeli soldiers in both southern Lebanon and the .
Cheap drones that can cost as little as $400 manage to penetrate Israel’s multi-billion dollar air defense systems.
Communication propaganda weapon
This mode of warfare, which was launched only on March 2, has a communication dimension par excellence, as the attacks are recorded by drones, while the videos are posted on social media and shown by the Al-Manar television network.
The organization is thus trying to equalize in the media the superiority on the battlefield of Israel, which is using armor and infantry, in order to create a security zone north of its border.
Even if Israeli casualties are light, this tactic is intended to have the psychological effect of seeing Israeli soldiers trying to take cover under drone attack, in order to break the image of the invulnerability of the Israeli military machine.
Hezbollah needs these images mainly to continue its recruitment inside Lebanon, trying to convince that it is the main form of resistance.
How do they work? FPV drones with fiber optic control
These FPV drones (First Person View drones in the sense that the operator sees the image from the drone’s camera in real time as if he were inside it) are controlled via optical fiber to avoid electronic tracking. They are small in size, fast, difficult to detect and take down, and extremely deadly.
While most drones are vulnerable to electronic jamming, which can cause them to crash, deviate from their course or even roll back, fiber-optic drones are not guided by a GPS system, do not need radio frequencies and satellite signals, but have a thin cable that uncoils behind them and connects the operator’s console directly to the drone, making it difficult electronic interference.
Of course, there remains the possibility that these drones will fail due to interference from other drones or due to weather conditions, however, they are much more lethal, as opponents will either have to intercept them directly, which is difficult due to their small size, or cut their cable, which is quite transparent.
The cons
The downside of FPV drones with fiber optic control is that they can have a shorter range than drones that use artificial intelligence for their navigation. This disadvantage is outweighed by the advantage that they are not vulnerable to electronic interference (jamming).
Utilizing fiberglass in their construction, they leave a minimal thermal footprint and cannot be countered by the Trophy system, which the Israeli Merkava tanks have, to stop enemy projectiles.
In fact, due to the direct communication with the operator, these FPV drones can target the most critical or vulnerable parts of a tank, such as the turret or crawlers.
However, fiber-optic FPV drones are not seen as the future of drone technology, as they cannot be used en masse in a war, and countermeasures will not take long to produce results. They are sometimes likened to the Zeppelin bomber airships, which a century ago were a particularly spectacular military innovation, but which were quickly outdone.
Israel’s countermeasures
Hezbollah turned to this weapon because the Israeli military had found ways to counter the larger drones it used before, as well as missiles and rockets. Building FPV drones takes place locally and is not particularly difficult.
The transparent cable, which is available in the market, as well as the explosives and the main mechanism of the drone are required. Many of the component parts are readily available as they are also used for non-combat purposes.
Their cost can be less than 400 dollars and their construction is aided by 3D printing technology.
As Israel seeks a comprehensive solution to this challenge, its primary countermeasures are ground defenses, such as nets and cages that protect military vehicles, as well as homes and military positions.
Israel also has advanced technology that detects changes in the lighting and sound of the drones’ propellers. Defense technology company Elbit is developing hardware to counter Hezbollah drones, which use laser systems.
Other possible countermeasures are fire control aiming systems with computer vision technology that can be mounted on assault rifles, as well as the use of 5.56mm fragmentation ammunition.
However, until such reliable technologies are developed, Israel’s primary response is to bomb Hezbollah positions and locations where FPV drones may be manufactured.
Their use by Russia
This development in the battles in Lebanon is a transfer from the war theater of Ukraine, where they are used by Russia, an ally of Iran, which is the main supporter of Hezbollah.
It is recalled that Iran had contributed significantly to Russia’s war effort through the Shahed drones, which the Russians perfected and returned to Iran in the war against the US and Israel. In some parts of the Ukrainian fronts with intense electronic interference, FPV drones with fiber optic control had been tested as early as the end of 2024.
The know-how has been transferred to southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah’s new drones are being assembled as a particularly cheap solution against Israeli tanks. Local assembly is, moreover, a necessity at a time when the corridor for sending equipment from Iran to Hezbollah via Syria has been closed.
The main helper is the weather
Until Israeli companies come up with an overall effective solution, possibly based on laser technology, Israel’s main ally is mainly the weather, as fiber-optic FPV drones struggle to operate effectively in high winds and rain.
Otherwise, if the drones manage to overcome physical obstacles, such as bad weather or tall trees, the only recourse an Israeli soldier has against them is his atomic weapon, which he can use to shoot them down if he notices them before it’s too late.
Even then, however, FPV drones can act as propaganda weapons by relaying images of vulnerable Israeli soldiers, which are popular with an audience of men Hezbollah aspires to recruit.
