"Fragmentation Ammunition".. Israel's New Weapon to Confront Hezbollah's Drones

An Israeli military document revealed the Israeli army's reliance on fragmentation ammunition to intercept explosive drones launched by Hezbollah, a step considered an "operational success" in the evolution of the army's tactics to confront the threat of explosive drones.

The document, published by the newspaper "Israel Hayom," explains that forces succeeded in downing a drone in southern Lebanon at close range using ammunition designated for short and medium range, as part of broader efforts to enhance field confrontation capabilities against this type of growing threat.

According to the newspaper, the explosive drone was launched at Israeli forces when an engineering battalion operating under the command of the 401st Brigade's combat team intercepted it using fragmentation ammunition from a distance of 60 meters.

The newspaper added that the ammunition supplied to fighters in southern Lebanon in recent days is designated for close range (50 meters) and medium range (100 meters), confirming that the fighter who confronted the threat was the only one in his team authorized to use this specific ammunition, stored in a "desert" ammunition pouch bearing a red mark on the vest.

The newspaper indicated that although the drone's structure retained its original shape relatively, the warhead attached to it completely detached, and the battery and electrical system sustained severe damage.

The report concluded that using medium-range ammunition was correct, that a partial hit was sufficient to neutralize the threat, and that the availability of the cartridge enabled the trained fighter to fire at the drone.

Despite this isolated incident, it is not known at this stage whether fragmentation ammunition will be what puts an end to the challenge of explosive drones.

Meanwhile, in addition to this type of ammunition, the Israeli army has recently been trying to deal with the threat that is causing heavy losses on the battlefield by deploying dedicated networks, hiding positions, and using means such as the "Dagger" sight, which is important for medium and long-range interceptions.

Among other things, the army sought to arm its fighters with fragmentation ammunition to maximize damage to explosive drones, as well as providing them with hunting rifles, which are particularly effective at short range up to 50 meters, and contain pellets that spread over a wide area.