Israel's Ministry of Defense is expanding its use of drones guided by fiber optics. The military is working with companies to integrate drones with a range of several kilometers into its operations, sources in the drone industry and the defense sector have told "Globes." In the war, Israel has operated various drones using a range of methods for different missions, but the overall profile of the drone industry has been transformed by the Russia-Ukraine war, and the use of those guided by fiber optics has been especially extensive both for short range targets that can be seen and those further afield out of vision.
As in the Ukraine war, the IDF has also used fiber-optic guided drones but for different types of missions. Hamas and Hezbollah's many tunnels do not have wireless communication capabilities, so drones and robotic dogs have been connected to fiber optics. However, the ranges are limited, and therefore the Ministry of Defense is striving to increase them based on fiber-optic guidance.
In Ukraine, first-person view (FPV) drones are already being operated with fiber-optic guidance for ranges of up to 10 kilometers. But the bottom line is that range is the major restriction when operating fiber optic guided drones. Two other significant disadvantages of FPV drones are speed and maneuverability because its use requires more careful operation, so that the fiber does not tear, and operation time is shorter due to the weight of the optical fiber.
Coping with disruptions
Israeli startups are currently operating in all areas of drone technology. One such company is R2, which was founded four years ago to develop wireless communication detection (Passive RF). In other words to detect and track a vehicle in the air, on land or at sea based on the transmission of a communication signal. Among the threats are drones, cell phones or tactical radios.
R2 founder and CTO Dr. Yiftach Richter says, "The Ukrainians use FPV drones based on wireless communication for intelligence, attacking ground targets and intercepting other aircraft. When it comes to operating thousands of units every day, this is one of the required solutions. FPV drones are very cheap, costing several hundred dollars per unit, and make up about 80% of the fighting in Ukraine. Thousands of units are destroyed every day, but these drones are operated because they are cheap and use the most accessible and efficient means of data transmission – wireless communication. Other uses such as fiber optics or GPS guidance sound promising, but have limitations such as maneuverability, price and accessibility of components."
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The fiber optic increases protection of the drone against electronic warfare that will disrupt communications between the drone and its operator, including jamming and spoofing. Jamming disrupts communications between the operator and the drone to either ground the drone or make it continue flying until its batteries is empty and it crashes. Spoofing damages the drone's GPS navigation capabilities, something Israeli drivers have been familiar with since the start of the war when occasions there Waze and other navigation apps have malfunctioned.
Fiber-connected drones also provide a solution to communication difficulties on Israel's northern front. Some reservists brought their own drones with them and others were donated and some of these caused communications disruptions for military aircraft. Unlike the broad expanses of Ukraine and Russia, Israel's narrow border with Lebanon and the mountainous topography dictate a high density of communications activity by the drones, which sometimes interfere with each other.
"The fiber is extremely thin and vulnerable."
Aaron Prat, founder and CEO of drone developer Tehiru provides the Ministry of Defense with drones capable of swiftly moving between different frequencies to prevent disruption of their activities, and also provides drones connected to fibers. Prat says the advantages of optical fibers are numerous, and also include protection against frequency interference with friendly drones operated by the IDF. Another issue is getting round the regulations of the IDF Communications Division, which is required for use of new frequencies by military aircraft.
However, this method also has disadvantages: "Since the drone is required to carry the fiber optic itself, protective layers are removed from the fiber to make it lighter. This makes the fibers particularly thin and vulnerable. Often a gust of wind causes accidents when the fiber wraps around the drone's blades. Because of this, for example, it is impossible to perform an acrobatic maneuver with it, and the pilot is required to learn special maneuvers that will reduce the chance of an accident with the fiber."
Prat believes that the use of fiber optic drones in the battlefield will grow to about 30%-40% of all drones deployed in warfare. He says, "I would like to think that the tech industry will find a wireless solution to the issue of communication interference, but as long as that doesn't happen, we will operate in this range in the future."
The advantages of protection against jamming are exploited not only by Israel, but also by its enemies who have been operating a large array of anti-tank missiles in the war, which experts believe is unprecedented on an international scale. Larger loss of life has been avoided thanks to Rafael's Trophy protection system, which is required because anti-tank missiles are operated with fiber optics, and it is impossible to disrupt them on the way to the target. As the anti-tank missiles approach, the Trophy active defense system is activated. In recent months, Hezbollah has launched several anti-tank missiles simultaneously towards the target, trying to bypass the Trophy defense system.
No fear of chips
In the international drone arena, several companies provide fiber-optic systems for these devices, including Israel's Apeiro Motion, and Chinese company Axis Flying. Despite concerns about Chinese systems, fiber optics are considered safe because they do not contain chips and controllers, where hidden software and hardware components could be inserted. As part of the quest to create independence in the field of photonics, which deals with the creation, amplification, transmission and processing of light particles, Israel inaugurated the National Center for Advanced Photonics five years ago next to the Sorek Nuclear Research Center, which operates with Ben Gurion University. Independence in the field is required because optical communications constitutes a prominent and significant pillar of the defense system's needs. The field of photonics is growing impressively, with demand expected to be consistent in the coming years. According to Fortune, the market size in 2023 was $920.5 billion and is expected to grow to $983.5 billion by the end of this year, and reach $1.64 trillion in 2032. This means that in the next eight years, average annual growth will be 6.7%.
A prominent player in the local market is Prisma Photonics, which works closely with the Israel Electric Corp. The company has developed a fiber-optic-based sensor that allows monitoring of infrastructures that extend over large ranges. Prisma has worked with the Ministry of Defense in the field of sensors using fiber optics, especially for use in the maritime sector and in tunnels.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on November 19, 2024.
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