The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (KAN) revealed that "Hezbollah" has introduced a new weapon to the battlefield for the first time since the escalation began nine months ago, concerning the Israeli army. This new weapon is a drone of the type "Shahed 101," recently launched by the organization towards northern Israel, resulting in the death of a reserve officer named Valery Chabanov, just one day before his discharge from reserve duty.
The authority noted that the drone "Shahed 101," unlike previous drones used by "Hezbollah," is an electric drone, capable of flying a distance of up to 900 kilometers and capable of carrying heavy munitions. "It is used by Iran and its allied Shiite militias in Iraq and Yemen."
According to the Israeli channel, "This drone was used last Thursday when Hezbollah launched it towards the Kfar Kabbala cooperative settlement in Western Galilee, about 4 kilometers east of the coastal city of Nahariya.” It was mentioned that the drone operates with an electric motor, making it a long-duration aircraft that can fly for extended periods and is characterized as being less noisy, prompting the channel to describe it as a "silent drone," in addition to its capacity to carry explosive materials weighing 10 kilograms.
Furthermore, it was pointed out that "the motors of previous Hezbollah drones deployed in battle, such as 'Ababil,' operate on conventional fuel (gasoline)." Conversely, the electric drone works on an electric charging system, resulting in its motor's sound being low and barely audible from the ground. This, along with the difficulty of detecting and intercepting it with radars, poses a challenge.
Israel faces challenges in detecting "Hezbollah" drones via radar, including "Ababil T" and "Samad 2," due to the altitudes at which these drones fly. The challenging terrain in the region provides comfortable flight paths for low-altitude flying, while the proximity to Lebanon and the recency of this type of threat are among other reasons complicating interception.
"Hezbollah" has gradually introduced new weapons in recent months, including what occurred in May when Israeli media spoke of the use of a drone capable of launching missiles, in addition to known uses of suicide drones functioning as cruise missiles. The organization also utilized a drone capable of launching two missiles in an attack on a military site in the town of Matal, located 6 kilometers from the border with southern Lebanon.
