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Israeli drone innovations on display at Paris Air Show

Israeli drones have revolutionized security and modern day battlefields.

By World Israel News Staff

In late June, several top Israeli companies showcased their drone innovations at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, a few kilometers north of the French capital, the world’s largest air show where the biggest developers in the aerospace industry display their wares.

These included Elbit Systems’ unmanned aircraft with an extended range and flying duration, enhancing intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities.

UVision’s Hero-400 multi-canister launcher allows several drones to be launched from multiple tubes on a vehicle or platform. Rafael’s Drone Dome identifies targets and uses lasers to neutralize them from several kilometers away.

Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled the Tactical Heron, which can fly up to 7.3 kilometers with payloads of 180 kilograms.

“As a world leader in the field of unmanned systems and robotics, Israeli-developed unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are operated worldwide, along with avionics, mission payloads, training and support systems,” noted Israel’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, known as SIBAT, in its annual directory.

“Israel now offers unmanned systems for military, homeland security and civil use,” it said.

Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry claims there are 50 startups in the country making 165 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

In 2013, Israel became the world’s largest exporter of drones. Half of the countries drones are exported to Europe and a third to Asia, reported The Jerusalem Post.

Israel has been on the cutting edge of drone technology for decades. Israel’s first operational reconnaissance drone was developed during the 1982 Lebanon War.

In 1969, Israel was the first country in the world to use drones for combat operations. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) flew toy airplanes with cameras glued to their bellies to spy on Egypt along the Suez Canal, reported the New York Post.

“Reconnaissance drones are important because it allows a military to see enemy operations and deployments without endangering the lives of soldiers. It can also help to monitor a situation as a battle unfolds,” the Post said.

Today, Israel is recognized as among the most important and innovative countries in the drone sector providing militaries and homeland defense with drones, as well as systems to detect drones and guard against them.

Palestinian terrorists also have drone capabilities.

On July 7, the Israeli army reported that it had shot down a drone flying over Israel’s buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip.

“Resistance movements in Gaza have managed to develop some 10 types of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] in the past five years,” Wasef Erekat, a Palestinian military expert, told Anadolu Agency.

Erekat said that the Palestinians have two types of drones, one for collecting information and photos and the other that has an explosive charge to carry out attacks.

Jalal Rummana, a Palestinian expert on Israeli affairs, told Anadolu Agency that Israel had killed several Palestinians who were developing drones. These include the shooting of Mohammed Zawari in Tunisia in 2016 and Fadi Al-Batsh, who was killed in 2018 in Malaysia.