The latest
The Israeli military is no longer relying only on radars and electronic interception to counter Hezbollah’s drones.
It is also turning to a simple, physical and expensive solution: nets.
According to Israel Hayom, images from southern Lebanon show buildings used by Israeli soldiers fully wrapped in large net structures mounted on support poles.
The idea looks basic. But it reveals the scale of the problem. Hezbollah’s small, cheap drones have become a threat that can disrupt troop movement, positioning and daily operations near the front.
Details
• The Israeli military has spent more than $6 million on protective nets in southern Lebanon.
• The project is led by the army’s Technology and Logistics Directorate, which has started importing specialized nets from abroad as field demand grows.
• The army is also deploying tactical radars near troops and distributing short-range interception tools, including multi-projectile guns designed to bring down nearby drones.
• Israel’s Defense Ministry is examining more advanced options, including fast drones that could intercept hostile drones in midair. But many of those systems are not yet fully ready for operational use.
• The biggest challenge is that these drones do not rely on wireless signals that can be jammed. They receive commands through a physical cable linking the drone to its operator.
• That makes electronic jamming far less effective. The trade-off is range: the drone is usually limited to about 5 kilometers.
• The drone is small and cheap. It can carry about 2 to 3 kilograms of explosives or camera equipment, and may cost only a few hundred dollars.
• Its low flight path, sometimes below radar coverage, makes detection difficult. In many cases, soldiers still depend on direct visual identification.
What to watch
The key question is whether the nets remain a temporary field solution or become a permanent part of Israel’s military positioning in southern Lebanon.
The answer will depend on whether Israel can develop a reliable way to detect and intercept fiber-optic drones before they reach troops.
