Agencies-Gaza post
Israel admits to using armed drones in Middle East
Israeli military censorship lifted the ban on denouncing the country’s use of armed drones, an official said, ending a Pulcinella secret by admitting that the military has unmanned attack aircraft and have them used.
The Palestinians have accused Israel of using armed drones in targeted killings in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, something that has never been confirmed by Israel, which previously banned any publication of news on the issue.
There have also been numerous international reports of Israeli drones attacking targets in Lebanon and Iran, which have never been officially confirmed by Israel.
A statement from the military censor states that after examining the matter, “it was found that there was no impediment to publishing the IOF’s use of armed UAVs as part of its operational activities.”
Israel has one of the largest drone fleets in the Middle East and is among the largest exporters of drone technology in the region, but most of its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unarmed reconnaissance aircraft.
The war in Ukraine and the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan underscored the vital role played by both unarmed reconnaissance UAVs and strike drones in the destruction of tanks and other armored vehicles.
The Turkish-developed Bayraktar drone has been particularly successful, becoming synonymous with a shift in the balance of battlefield advantage in favor of relatively low-cost drones versus heavy armor.
In April, the budget committee of the German parliament gave the green light to funding for the acquisition of missiles to be mounted on the German military fleet of Heron TP drones, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries.
A censorship officer said that although the blanket ban on reporting the existence of armed drones has been lifted, reporting of specific technical details or operations would still be subject to review before publication can be approved.
