The Israeli army’s radio station has revealed that an internal military document circulated in May 2025 warned of the growing threat posed by fiber-optic-guided suicide drones, detailing operational vulnerabilities and calling for urgent defensive and offensive countermeasures.
According to the report, the document—prepared by the Israeli military’s Operations Division—outlined concrete steps to address the threat, but these measures were not implemented at the time.
Action, it said, only gained traction in recent weeks following deadly incidents in which two soldiers and a contractor were killed and around 40 troops wounded by such drones.
The document was distributed by then-head of the Operations Division, Major General Oded Basiuk, to key bodies within the military and the Defense Ministry, including the Ground Forces, the Planning Division, and MAFAT, the ministry’s research and development directorate.
The video below, shows a drone strike by Hezbollah targeting an Israeli Merkava tank in the border town of Al-Qantara.
It opened with an analysis of the use of fiber-optic-guided drones in the Russia-Ukraine war, noting that Ukrainian forces began systematically deploying them in mid-2023, with their use becoming standard practice in offensive operations by early 2024.
The assessment warned of their far-reaching battlefield impact, stating that areas up to 15–20 kilometers from the front line could no longer be considered secure.
“Every assembly area, position, temporary headquarters, or exposed movement is within direct attack range,” the document said, adding that conventional electronic warfare defenses are largely ineffective against such systems.
Despite these warnings, the Israeli radio station reported that procurement of specialized rifles and ammunition designed to counter drones was only initiated recently—and with significant delay—despite the capability being available earlier.
The document also stressed the need for sweeping operational adjustments, including enhanced training, heightened field awareness among maneuvering forces, stricter deployment protocols, and the use of overhead camouflage—even in short-range firing positions.
“Why only now?” the Israeli military broadcaster asked, questioning why no meaningful action was taken despite the issue being clearly presented to all relevant authorities in the occupation entity a year ago.
Earlier this week, Israeli media reported that Hezbollah’s drones continue to dominate Israeli military concerns, particularly after what Israeli sources describe as the failure of deployed countermeasures to contain them.
'Israel' Races to Counter Hezbollah Drone “Impasse”
— Al-Manar English (@manarenglish) May 5, 2026
Hezbollah’s drones continue to dominate Israeli military concerns, particularly after what Israeli sources describe as the failure of deployed countermeasures to contain them.
Israeli media reports on Tuesday highlighted a… pic.twitter.com/7JKnNxVALe
Source: Hebrew media (translated and edited by Al-Manar)