Israel tests AI‑driven APUS 25 drone for rapid wildfire detection

Israel has completed the first flight test of an artificial‑intelligence‑enabled drone system designed to spot wildfires within minutes of ignition and pinpoint their location with meter‑level accuracy. The system integrates Israel Aerospace Industries’ APUS 25 vertical‑take‑off‑and‑landing drone, equipped with day, night‑vision and infrared cameras, and AI‑based spectral image‑processing that analyses data in real time.

The autonomous aircraft can patrol a pre‑defined search area for up to five hours, transmitting alerts directly to the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority’s command centre. The project is a joint effort of the Ministry of National Security, the Israel Innovation Authority, the Technion, the Fire and Rescue Authority and IAI. Yaron Schone, head of R&D at the Ministry’s technology department, said the initiative “represents another step forward in advancing innovative technological capabilities for Israel’s security and emergency organisations.”