Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Israel has been preparing for a war that would include combat unmanned aerial vehicles.

Officials said Iran and its proxies were being equipped with UAVs that could eventually contain munitions.

The officials said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was converting tactical and other UAVs into combat platforms.

“We will have to cope with dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles in both the northern and southern fronts,” Maj. Gen. Shachar Shohat said.

On March 10, Shohat, commander of air defense, told the Institute for National Security Studies that Iran’s proxies were developing miniature UAVs that could transport small bombs. He said the proxies would soon reach the capability to develop UAVs with an explosive payload of several hundred kilograms.

Officials said Hizbullah was developing unmanned combat platforms based on Iranian expertise and technology. They said Israel’s missile and rocket defense systems were being designed to intercept combat UAVs.

Shohat said the UAVs now comprised a major element in the strategy of
Iran’s proxies. The air defense commander cited Hizbullah UAVs that
penetrated Israel in 2012 and 2013.

Another threat was that of cruise missiles by Hamas and
Hizbullah. Shohat said these weapons could be improved by such
easily-available items such as global positioning systems.

The air defense commander said Israel must expand and enhance its
missile defense umbrella. He said the multi-layered network would be
interoperable and integrated to warn of any air or missile threat.

“There is no hermetic protection, and there will have to be means to
deal with enemy fire in real time,” Shohat said.

  Institute for National Security Studies, IRGC, Israelis train for drone war in coming conflict with Iran proxies, Maj. Gen. Shachar Shohat