Inexpensive fiber-optic drones are challenging Israel’s high-tech defenses, shifting the military balance in the Middle East.

A recent video showing an explosive-laden drone striking an Israeli Iron Dome battery couldn’t have been more symbolic: Israel’s famous air-defense system, which cost billions of euros, looked powerless against a small aircraft that cost a few hundred euros.

While the video’s authenticity has not yet been verified, experts believe it is genuine.

The footage was published about a week ago by Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based pro-Iranian militia, which Germany, the US and several Sunni Arab states have classified as a terrorist organization.

The drone strike, if genuine, would mark propaganda victory for Hezbollah and reveal a significant vulnerability in Israel’s military capabilities.

  • itsjustachairmary@lemmy.world
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    23 hours ago

    I did see footage of a drone attacking an Iron Dome site. Looked legit for what it’s worth. Literally flew right up to it. Unfortunately no footage of the aftermath from what I saw. Must have been quite the explosion though. Anyway, this is hopeful news. Let’s hope they keep this up and force Israel to back the fuck off.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      23 hours ago

      Literally flew right up to it

      Because you don’t see the 99.99% that were stopped at the defenses, that’s why a “swarm attack” would be so devastating.

      It’s basically the attack scene from Zion in The Matrix. A steady flow of (relatively) inexpensive attack drones. Most will fail, for a very very long time nothing gets thru. But eventually one slips thru or defenses need to reload, but one slips thru and hits something.

      If it hits something important, it’s now easier for every single one to get thru.

      This was likely just proof of concept.

      Send a wave out, aim at something random, and don’t stop till one gets thru. That is invaluable Intel for when/where to aim a swarm attack. They don’t need to breach everywhere, just one small section bearing insurmountable odds.

      It would turn Iran into a super power on the world stage

    • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works
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      23 hours ago

      Let’s hope they keep this up and force Israel to back the fuck off.

      I don’t see the same connection here that you do. A failure of Israel’s defensive weapons would require them to go on the offensive. The status quo from before the October 7 attacks was tolerable to Israel because they could shoot down incoming threats but if they no longer can, they must neutralize the ability of their enemies to launch those threats.

      • Rat_in_a_hat@lemmy.ca
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        7 hours ago

        I don’t know why you would assume that they would go further on the offensive.

        All studies, publications, and reports show that if Israel didn’t have protection from retaliation, that they would be opposed to offensive operations if they experienced even a fraction of the horrors that they commit on others.

        https://jewishcurrents.org/iron-dome-is-not-a-defensive-system

        https://www.amacad.org/publication/daedalus/new-technologies-strategic-stability

        Israel always wanted to be in perpetual conflict to continue it’s expansion. Conflict means the need to have superior firepower and defensive capabilities which help continue perpetrating it’s genocide unabated - it’s what Bibi pushed for these many decades.

        https://www.972mag.com/netanyahu-hamas-october-7-adam-raz/

        But if you take away the superior defensive capabilities and the risk of continued aggression (which is why there was opposition to funding the Iron Dome in the US) then Israel would think twice about it’s expansionist policies.

      • emergencyfood@sh.itjust.works
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        8 hours ago

        A failure of Israel’s defensive weapons would require them to go on the offensive.

        Yes, but it will also require them to use alternative forces on defence, and it will also induce many Israelis to leave. This will create financial and manpower shortages. This might induce even more depraved behaviour in the short term, but I guess that’s a risk Iran & Co. are willing to take to ensure long-term peace.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        16 hours ago

        A failure of Israel’s defensive weapons would require them to go on the offensive.

        According to themselves, a day ending in y would require them to go on the offensive.

        This is all a conflict of choice for them and the US and, if damage to the dome has any effect on them (which it probably won’t, since they’re so far gone down the colonialism genocide spiral), it would be to make them more cautious due to their own people being more vulnerable to consequences of their state terrorism.

      • NoForwadSlashS@piefed.social
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        22 hours ago

        It’s impressive that it’s not already considered being “on the offensive” to invade and bomb multiple neighbouring countries, as well as actions like boarding boats in international waters and imprisoning the occupants.

        • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works
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          20 hours ago

          I didn’t say that Israel is not on the offensive right now - it is. My point is that if the Iron Dome system is indeed compromised, that’s going to put pressure on Israel to stay on the offensive rather than to back down.