Hezbollah's UAVs Concern Israel and United States Security Experts

[bemildred]

Use of technologically advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, by Hezbollah during its 34-day conflict with Israel, is causing both American and Israeli defense officials attempting to formulate an effective defense against drone attacks.

According to a report in Newsweek, the three UAVs Hezbollah launched against Israel were Iranian-built Ababil vehicles, which carry an 88-pound conventional explosives payload and can travel at least 150 miles.

Israeli jets did, however, succeed in shooting down all three UAVs before they could reach cause any death and destruction.

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But US experts contend that "the strength of the drones was not in their explosive power, but in their ability to strike with great precision. A successful hit on Haifa's petrochemical plant during this summer's war, for instance, would have devastated a large, densely-populated area."

American Daily

[Lerkfish]

1. as opposed to lebanon's "large, densely-populated area"s already struck

by the IDF.

apparently, Israel's concerns about densely populated areas only go in one direction, instead of both directions.
I"m personally concerned about both directions.

[Solo_in_MD]

6. Actually their concern (and ours) should be the posession of precision

strike capable equipment in the hands of an illegal militia

[Lerkfish]

8. our concern should be the posession of such weapons in any hands

likely to misuse them to kill civilians.
Whether that's a militia or a sovereign nation.

[HereSince1628]

2. See!!!! Sadam hid his drones in Lebanon!!!!!

Oh my God! The Israeli's have verified what was thought to be one of Colin Powell's lies!

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Let's set up a multi billion dollar contract with Northrup to defend

against some $1000 RC controlled toy planes (that probably don't really exist anyway).

[Solo_in_MD]

7. You might want to do a bit of reading...

- The payload is out of the RC airplane range
- RC airplanes are not normally equiped with data links and sensors
- Hezbollah has bragged about having them in the past (did some photo recon IIRC) so they do exist.



There are a number of light UAVs out there, lots at the recently completed AUVSI tradeshow. Just about any of them could be weaponized to the level of a basic bomb. Its a real concern, not only there but here as well. 50lbs of explosive in the right spot can make a helluva a mess.

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. "not only there but here as well"

Why would anybody bother to send up 50 lbs of explosives in a little airplane to hurt somebody here? Would they launch them from Canada or Juarez? That would be the most pathetic excuse for a terrorist attack I could imagine.

The whole thing reeks of urban legend.

[msmcghee]

10. Well, now that you mention it . .

. . 50 lbs. of C4 delvered to a jumbo passenger jet readying for takoff at El Paso International Airport would probably kill well over a hundred people, shut down US commercial aviation for weeks at least, send the US into a major recession and put John McCain in the Whitehouse for eight years - leaving the deluded far left to whine that maybe there was something to all that terrorist stuff after all - now that you mention it.

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. Oh, you can do better than an RC plane.

Why not 200 lbs while you are at it, a "few suitcase nukes", some dirty bombs too and a poisoned water supply. Anything is possible, right? We had better invade Iran before it's too late.

[msmcghee]

12. Well, suitcase nukes and 200 lb. bombs . .

. . require a delivery system that must function and carry out its mission within our borders.

Drones do not.

[Solo_in_MD]

13. There is wisdom in the saying which goes "There are few problems

that cannot be solved by the proper application of high explosives"

In the case of terroism/sabotage, it really doesnt take all that much. The key is placement. There is a fair amount of work that is done on vunerability. What do you destroy to stop X from working for N days? Its more complex that many think. Launch sites would be near the target, no need to go to OCONUS.

To speculate let me give you a few examples of what could be done with an 50 lbs of explosive and a RPV:
- POL
- Elec Power Generation/Distribution
- Water Distribution
- Airports

If it is claimed as a terrorist action, I fear to think what would happen to the freedoms in this country.

[Oreo]

4. I bet these drones could reach London in 30 minutes

These people are SO easy to read. They will be talking about the drones being used to carry nukes or biological/chemical weapons next.

It's also more and more obvious that Bush wanted Israel to hit Lebanon so they could see what kind of technology Iran has.

[msmcghee]

5. Thanks for these threads.

Your balance has improved. I'd still like to see more of what you think about these events though. :thumbsup: