Fiber-optic drones, the weapon Hezbollah has adopted to attack Israel: Using them is easier than playing a video game'

"Hezbollah has deployed a type of drone that circumvents this traditional system during the latest escalation. These unmanned aerial vehicles, already deployed by the Russian and Ukrainian armies, are manufactured for a few hundred dollars using readily available civilian components and have already caused at least four deaths the latest announced on Monday and several serious injuries among Israeli soldiers and contractors."

"FPV (first-person view) drones, which carry a camera that transmits a live signal to the operator, allow Lebanese fighters to precisely direct the explosive-laden device from a location where invading troops are not present, towards the Israeli soldiers occupying a strip of land on the border in southern Lebanon. Using them is even easier than playing a video game."

"In a twist that transforms the rudimentary into the revolutionary the fiber-optic cable, about the same thickness as dental floss, that connects the pilot to the drone allows these tiny devices to fly without electronic radio signals. There is therefore no frequency to jam, which disables the Israeli defense systems used against conventional drones."

"Hezbollah has about 100 militants dedicated to launching drones from civilian areas in the south of the country, according to Israeli army estimates cited by Channel 12 television. It is estimated that this network had fired some 160 drones at troops 90 of them tethered t"

Hezbollah has deployed first-person view drones that evade Israel’s defensive wall and air defense systems. After Iron Dome stopped most rockets during more than two years of conflict, Hezbollah introduced unmanned aerial vehicles that can be built cheaply from civilian components. The drones carry cameras that transmit live video to operators who guide explosive payloads toward Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. Fiber-optic tethering replaces radio links, preventing electronic jamming and disabling defenses designed for conventional drones. Israeli officials report deaths and injuries from recent drone attacks, including incidents involving drones near helicopters during medical evacuation. Estimates indicate Hezbollah maintains a dedicated drone-launch network in southern Lebanon, with many drones fired at troops.

Read at english.elpais.com