Lebanon: Fiber

Latest Innovations in Warfare: Hezbollah’s Use of Fiber Optic Drones

• Since the resumption of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, the use of fiber optic drones has increased within the ranks of the terrorist group.
• Unlike conventional devices, they are almost impossible to detect.
• A soldier was reportedly killed over the weekend, according to a British media outlet.

When the innovation stemming from the war in Ukraine inspires Hezbollah. Two months after the resumption of clashes in Israel and Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces face a new threat: fiber optic drones. These devices, nearly impossible to jam, are gradually replacing the rockets used for decades by the terrorist group.

The most recent example: the attack that took place over the weekend in southern Lebanon. A drone attacked an Israeli helicopter as it was evacuating the wounded, as shown in a video from the British newspaper The Sun. The drone approached the aircraft before an explosion occurred. Result: one soldier killed and several others injured.

If the drone was not detected by the Israel Defense Forces, it is mainly because it did not function through a radio link. This generation has indeed proved vulnerable to jamming devices that cut this connection. It was Russia that, during the war in Ukraine, decided to switch from 2024 to drones connected to their operators via fiber optic cables, making them almost impossible to jam. These cables extend over several kilometers, so their widespread use has transformed entire frontline areas into a dense network of wires covering fields and meadows.

A Solution Yet to Be Found

According to the Times of Israel, some drones may have been launched from areas located up to fifteen kilometers away. This threat is taken very seriously by the authorities, the newspaper estimates. Especially since the Israel Defense Forces have not yet found a solution and are now turning to private companies. In mid-April, the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Research and Development issued a public tender.

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Guerre en Ukraine : le défi des drones russes à fibre optique

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also acknowledged on Monday in front of officers that there are still “two main threats from Hezbollah: 122-type rockets and drones. This requires a combination of operational and technological actions”.