JERUSALEM — Israel’s largest defence contractor is racing to field hardware capable of defeating explosive “kamikaze” drones used by Iran-backed Hezbollah to strike Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, Elbit Systems’ CEO told Reuters on Tuesday.
Bezhalel Machlis said Elbit is working closely with the Israeli defence ministry to produce a rapid response to the drone threat, including the possible deployment of energy-based weapons such as lasers. He added the company is pursuing multiple approaches to counter the cheap, hard-to-intercept unmanned aerial vehicles that have proven deadly both along the Israel-Lebanon frontier and in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“These are other means which are also relevant to this threat. We are heavily involved in the development of a solution (to) this challenge,” Machlis said after Elbit reported significant first-quarter revenue and profit gains, a performance that sent its Nasdaq-listed shares up about 8% in morning trading.
Israel has meanwhile adopted lower-technology measures in the field, such as nets to halt first-person-view drones controlled via fiber-optic links. The proliferation of small explosive drones has posed a particular challenge because they can evade conventional jamming systems.
The discussion around counter-drone technology comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed an escalation of strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, while stopping short of outlining a specific plan to neutralise the drone threat. The Israel-Hezbollah clashes represent the deadliest spillover of the wider regional confrontation tied to the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran, with hopes for a swift resolution dimming after recent U.S. strikes in southern Iran.
Hezbollah said on Tuesday its fighters used explosive drones and rocket fire against Israeli troops advancing near the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, framing the strikes as retaliation for Israeli attacks on Lebanese villages.
Demand for Israeli defence technology has surged since the Gaza war began in 2023, with buyers seeking munitions, laser and electronic warfare systems, and night-vision equipment. Machlis said Elbit is seeing increased orders from Europe, the United States, the Asia-Pacific region and the United Arab Emirates, and described the company’s Middle East business as “fast growing.”