Despite warnings, a drone attack on an army base in Israel was not repelled. The result: four dead soldiers and many injured. How did this come about?
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) faces numerous rocket and drone attacks on a daily basis, particularly from the Hezbollah-Militia and the Hamas. Next to the infamous Iron Dome They rely on various alarm systems. But these systems appear to have failed during a deadly attack on a military base in the north of the country. How could this happen?
Hezbollah drone strike in northern Israel: Police are said to have warned the air force
According to police, the Israeli Air Force was “informed of reports of a suspicious aircraft,” such as the New York Times reported. However, the warning was ignored because it was believed to be an Israeli aircraft, the report said. This misjudgment proved fatal.
Shortly thereafter, a drone strike claimed by Hezbollah resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers and injured many more. This attack once again highlights the vulnerabilities of Israel’s air defenses. Just last week, Hezbollah bombed a nursing home north of Tel-Aviv; Although there was significant damage, no one was injured. Recently, the Yemeni Houthi militia has carried out several attacks on Israeli soil – always with the help of attack drones.
“We have to ensure better defense,” said IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari. It is unclear “how a drone penetrates without warning and hits the base here” – he left the alleged warning from the police unmentioned. The Air Force initially tracked the drone, but it disappeared from radar because it reportedly flew so low that it was classified as crashed or intercepted. The drone therefore went unnoticed and exploded on the military base.
Israel’s defense systems are primarily designed for missiles – but not for slow drones
A major problem for Israel is that its defense systems are primarily focused on detecting and defending against missiles traveling at speeds of more than 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h). Drones, some of which fly slower than 160 km/h, are therefore not always adequately detected by Israeli radar systems, according to the report New York Times.
The infamous Iron Dome and Arrow-3 missile defense systems are therefore more capable of intercepting massive barrages of ballistic missiles than small, targeted attacks by swarms of drones. Experts believe Israel’s drone defenses urgently need to be adjusted.
How Israel defends itself against attacks
The “Iron Dome” is part of a multi-tiered Israeli air defense system. The Iron Dome defense units are tasked with intercepting rockets and mortar shells with a range of up to 70 kilometers. Each Iron Dome unit has three main components: a radar system, a computer that calculates the trajectory of the incoming missile, and a launcher that fires an interceptor missile if a previously detected missile could hit built-up or strategic territory.
In addition to the Iron Dome, Israel’s missile and cruise missile defense includes other systems: the Arro system, which is aimed at defending against ballistic missiles – and the David’s Sling system, which is intended to intercept medium-range rockets and medium-range guided missiles.
Since the Iron Dome was deployed in 2011, it has intercepted thousands of rockets fired by the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip or by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon. The system was also used in Iran’s first direct attack with drones and missiles on Israel in April – despite hundreds of projectiles being fired, “99 percent” were intercepted thanks to the Iron Dome, according to Israeli information.
No “magic solution for Israel”: IDF changes warning system after Hezbollah strike
“There is no magic solution that, if implemented, would solve all problems,” said Onn Fenig, whose company specializes in military technology, in an interview with the New York Times. Fenig further warned: “All of these systems have advantages and blind spots.” Israel must therefore “combine the positive aspects to develop a more robust drone detection system”. A rethink already seems to be taking place within the IDF.
Israeli media reported, citing the Air Force, that the warning areas in the event of missile alarms will be expanded. This means that sirens will sound in more places and therefore there will be more false alarms. In response to the attack on the military base in Binjamina, the air force now only wants to give the all-clear when evidence of a missile actually falling is found. Otherwise, drones are still considered airborne and flying. This change in the approach to missile alerts is a precautionary measure to prevent such incidents from occurring again. (nak)
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