Israel is accelerating its efforts to develop a new generation of air defense systems, in an effort to confront the growing threat posed by drones, especially those developed by Iran and used by its allies, led by Hezbollah, after the lessons that the Israeli army learned from the recent war.
Hebrew media revealed a new defense project being developed by a start-up Israeli company called “Skapion”, in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, to create a mobile interception system similar to “Iron Dome”, but designed to deal with swarms of drones at a lower cost and with a greater ability to confront intense attacks.
According to the Israeli Channel 12, the new system is characterized by its small size and ease of transport, and its ability to monitor, classify and intercept hundreds of drones simultaneously, while the company aims for the cost of intercepting each target not to exceed 10 thousand dollars, compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that current systems may require to intercept some drones.
The channel explained that the company has completed an initial financing round worth $36 million, and its system is currently undergoing subsystem tests, in preparation for conducting live launch and interception experiments, with the system being ready for operation by 2027.
The project is led by Benny Youngman, a former official at the Israeli company Rafael, who participated in developing the “Iron Dome” and “David’s Sling” systems, along with a team specialized in air defense technologies.
The company’s CEO, Ido Bar-On, said that battlefields have entered a new phase, explaining that attacks no longer depend on single drones, but rather on swarms that include hundreds and perhaps thousands of drones at the same time, which requires completely different systems from those currently used.
He added that the cost of intercepting drones has become a challenge no less important than the ability to shoot them down, noting that the Iranian “Shahed” aircraft is produced at a cost ranging between 15,000 and 35,000 dollars, while the cost of intercepting it may reach tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
He pointed out that the massive Iranian drone attack in April 2024 cost Israel and the countries participating in its interception more than $7 billion, considering that this model cannot be afforded if it continues for long periods.
The new project comes after the recent war with Hezbollah revealed gaps in the Israeli air defense systems, especially in the face of suicide drones and small aircraft that were used extensively to target military sites and settlements in northern Israel, which prompted the security establishment to search for solutions that are less expensive and more capable of confronting flooding attacks.
In parallel, Rafael is working to expand the production of interceptor missiles for the “Iron Dome” system, by establishing new manufacturing lines outside Israel, most notably in the United States and India, in light of the high global demand for air defense systems as a result of the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East.
Rafael is also in talks with Indian defense companies to establish a production line for interceptor missiles within India, which will enhance production capacity, reduce costs and support the company’s exports to international markets.
Israeli military industries are witnessing an increasing expansion in the Indian market, as companies such as “Elbit Systems” produce drones and military equipment in cooperation with local companies, as part of an Indian policy that requires local manufacturing and the transfer of part of the technology.
These projects reflect a growing Israeli awareness that future wars will not rely only on ballistic missiles, but will also witness widespread use of low-cost drone swarms, which requires the development of defense systems capable of confronting this type of threat with operational and economic efficiency.
