Tel Aviv. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) through its ELTA Systems group is delivering dozens of Drone Guard (CUAS) System to a country in South Asia in a deal, worth tens of millions of dollars (USD). The unique multi-sensor multi-layer ELI-4030 Drone Guard System is one of the most capable battlefield proven system in the world, providing the ability to detect, classify, identify and defeat drone attacks. IAI develops and manufactures the Drone Guard System from start to finish including the advanced radar capabilities.
Last week, two drones carrying explosives hit an Indian Air Force base in Jammu. The Drone Guard System handles hundreds of targets simultaneously and provides a solution to multiple evolving threats worldwide. The system’s advantage derives from the multi-layer implementation concept using a high-resolution 3D X-Band radar a key for drone-detection, an integrated COMIN ESM, multi-channel jamming and high resolution EO/IR with integrated AI capabilities. Drone Guard is a comprehensive solution for protection of all kind installations as well as manoeuvring forces.
IAI Executive VP and CEO of ELTA, Yoav Tourgeman, said, “IAI is proud to deliver the Drone Guard Systems as a defense solution to combat aerial threats in a county in South Asia. With hundreds of units already operational across the world, the multi sensor, multi-layer Drone-Guard system provides an efficient solution for drone attack threat. The Drone Guard provides long range detection and auto classification of the drone integrating AI with automation processing enabling fully automated Drone detection.”
Israel Identified the threat posed by armed UAV’s and drones in an early stage and that has resulted in the development of many defence systems against this growing threat. The Houthi rebels attack on the oil facilities in Saud Arabia in 2019 was performed by a mix of cruise missiles and armed drones. Supplied by Iran. In the very recent clash between Israel and the Hamas terror organization in Gaza, attempts were made to hit targets in Israel with armed drones.
While all this happened , the Israeli ministry of defense and the Israeli defense companies, were already deep in the effort to find the best solutions. Swarms of armed UAV’s and armed drones is a threat taken very seriously by Israel and other countries. But now a new threat is emerging very fast – attacks by swarms of armed UAV. The threat was exposed in 2018, when the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed its forces in Syria were attacked by a swarm of home-made drones – the first time such a coordinated assault has been reported in a military action.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian forces at the Khmeimim air base and Tartus naval facility, have foiled the attack. The official spokesman added that at night fall, the Russian air defense forces detected 13 unidentified small-size air targets at a significant distance approaching the Russian military bases.
The growing threats and especially the numerous attempts to cause casualties in Israel by using armed UAV’ and armed drones, has taken Israel to an across the board effort .The threat became even more acute last year when the Saudi oil refineries were attacked with Iranian made cruise missiles and armed UAV’s. So the threat is real and growing , and that brought a host of Israeli companies to develop defense systems they say can detect , neutralize or destroy incoming UAV’s and drones. UAV’s and especially drones, present unique challenges that set them apart from traditional airborne threats, such as missiles or warplanes.
ELTA, the electronics group of IAI, has developed the Drone Guard that addresses this threat. It detects and blocks its communication capability without compromising the communication capabilities of nearby civilian infrastructures. In this way, the operation of the hostile UAV or drone is disrupted and neutralized.
Drone Guard is based on a combination of 3D radars that trace the air targets, electro-optical and COMINT means, and a dedicated UAV flight disruption system. The company says that Drone Guard is used successfully against a range of UAV and drones and in other scenarios including forays or multiple-target.
The Drone Guard system features an integrated multi-layered sensor system that includes: 3D X-band radar that detects and tracks all types of drones; dedicated COMINT system that classifies the drone by its transmission (using the information to verify the target and reduce false detection rates); an EO/IR camera used to classify the detected object; and a Jammer that neutralizes and intercepts the object.
ELTA says that all the sensors are managed by a unified command and control unit. The key advantage of the layered configuration is that it provides added protection should one layer fail. According to ELTA, the system is capable of “closing the cycle” very fast, to neutralize a threat. This is done by using a variety of sensors that supply very accurate detection, identification and precise location for the different active systems that are used to neutralize the threat.
-The writer is an International Roving Correspondent of the publication. Views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
