Israel helped pioneer military drones, but a recent exercise in Germany—where Ukrainian drone teams rapidly exposed US troops and armored vehicles—shows that even advanced militaries must adapt faster and field drone capabilities at scale. Ukraine has demonstrated how drones can help a smaller force find attackers, slow advances, protect troops, and learn more quickly than a larger adversary. Israel needs both a drone sword to identify and disrupt confirmed threats before they strike, and a layered, affordable shield to protect soldiers, communities, and critical infrastructure when prevention fails. That requires a permanent joint drone, counter-drone, and electronic-warfare effort; AI-enabled command systems; domestic production; trained operators; and the ability to field, sustain, and replace drones at scale across the IDF—before the next warning becomes another tragedy.
(AI generated image)
