Israel upgrades Iron Dome amid Hezbollah FPV drone threat

Israel announced that its Iron Dome air‑defence system has been reinforced following a series of ballistic‑missile tests, adding new capabilities to counter rockets, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. The upgrades, developed with the Defence Ministry’s R&D unit and the Rafael defence firm, also include the high‑power laser interceptor known as "Iron Beam," which was tested in joint operations from the command centre.

At the same time, Israeli officials acknowledge that Hezbollah’s cheap first‑person‑view (FPV) explosive drones are a growing challenge. The drones are inexpensive to produce and can evade GPS‑based defenses, forcing Israel to rely on reactive measures such as nets, shotguns and shelters. A senior Israeli officer admitted the army was not fully prepared for this threat, noting that each Iron Dome interceptor costs far more than a single Hezbollah drone.