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.

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[–] 1 point 5 months ago (3 children)

In the Middle East, perhaps. In Ukraine or Russia you simply don't have laser weather most of the time.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 months ago (2 children)

    No. Just think about it. If these were only good for sunny weather, they wouldn't be putting in the resources to develop them. Such a weapon would be useless if your enemy just has to wait for a cloudy day. You just use a wavelength that isn't scattered by water molecules.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 months ago*

    There is no such wavelength available to my knowledge, although I would appreciate if someone pointed out a suitable window.

    They are indeed throwing a lot of resources at a solution that will need a (kinetic) backup solution on a rainy, foggy or snowy day.

    Water droplets absorb and scatter visible light, thermal radiation and short-wavelength radio waves. To the point of military radars being less capable during rain. Ice crystals are easier on radar, but mess up light even more severely.

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