IDF Ground Forces and the Ministry of Defense Procurement Directorate are seeking to equip the army with Israeli-made assault drones, as part of the developing drone war against Hamas and Hezbollah. In southern Lebanon, Hezbollah has been making increased use of drones in recent weeks. Just yesterday, an IDF spokesman revealed that Egoz unit forces had killed a Hezbollah terrorist using an assault drone, apparently a Bat-type drone manufactured by Israeli company Xtend.
Last year, Xtend won a Ministry of Defense tender to manufacture and supply 5,000 low-cost assault drones. The tender drew widespread criticism in the industry because it required bids offering drones with a low-profitability specification, which also included a component from China – a video transmitter manufactured by a Hong Kong company.
The new tender includes a requirement to purchase 12,000 first-person-view (FPV) assault drones that can be manually piloted by wearing virtual reality goggles and a joystick and are equipped with special features such as night vision cameras. The cost of each such drone could range from NIS 20,000 to 25,000, a significant increase in price compared with the drones ordered by the army in the previous tender, which was estimated at NIS 3,500 per unit.
The total cost of the tender could therefore reach NIS 30 million, well up from the previous tender. In addition, the new specification does not require companies to use electronic components from China and guarantees a more Western supply chain. This after criticism leveled at the army that the influx of drones and components from China could harm data security in the campaign. Even today, a significant portion of the army’s surveillance and intelligence drones come from Chinese models, including from DJI and Autel.
Mass and cheap domestic production
In contrast to the high price the IDF will pay for drones, Hezbollah’s FPV drones are produced cheaply by the terrorists in domestic production, using assembly plans transferred to them from the Russian army, according to estimates from US research institute FDD. These are tiny drones that cost hundreds of dollars per unit, usually between $400 and $500. They include four bladed engines assembled on parts that can be printed on a 3D printer, or purchased without export restrictions from sites like AliExpress and Amazon.
The number of drones in the IDF’s new military tender is relatively low, and the specifications are high, but experts estimate that drone warfare in various arenas around the world will only increase, and will become similar to what is happening in Ukraine, where in a strip of about 30 kilometers, soldiers and armored vehicles have difficulty maneuvering due to assault drones from both sides, and special measures are required to combat those drones.
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12,000 drones is the equivalent of the number of drones produced in Ukraine in just under two days, with the number of drones produced in the country in a year exceeding 1 million.
A drone for every soldier
Senior figures in Israel’s defense industry believe that drone warfare is in its infancy. Many see assault drones as a future version of an explosive grenade or a rocket launcher – a tactical tool that combat soldiers can throw a few meters towards the enemy, even without direct line of sight.
Among the bidders in the new tender are Ondas Holdings, the previous tender franchisee Xtend, which also supplies drones to the US army, and Israeli company Robotican, manufacturer of the Rooster drone.
Companies that previously bid in the previous drone tender chose not to compete. Dronix, for example, has not bid, apparently due to failure to meet classification conditions, Tehiru withdrew from the field of manually operated drones, while Sapir, which ultimately did not compete in the previous tender, also will not bid this time, due to its focus on other security products. Other companies expressed criticism of the low profitability conditions imposed on the tender franchisees. No response was received from the IDF.
Hezbollah has escalated its drone warfare
Drone warfare in the Middle East has escalated in recent weeks, as Hezbollah has increased the number of assault drones launched at IDF forces. Since resuming combat in the north, Hezbollah has released dozens of videos of assault drones crashing into Israeli armored vehicles and military installations, without documenting the impact on these assets.
There is an alarming increase in the number of FPV assault drones connected to optical fibers, which gives them relative immunity from the jamming of communication signals and electronic warfare that the IDF is deploying against drones, a method that has become very common on the battlefield in Ukraine on both sides of the fighting.
Assault drones typically come in sizes ranging from 7 to 13 inches, capable of carrying an explosive charge weighing between 1 and 5 kilograms. Fiber-optic drones are immune to communications jamming, but they are limited in their aerial maneuverability, while wireless drones can be detected by radar and intercepted by electronic warfare.
“There will be quite a few Israeli companies that can meet the army’s requirements, but this will not significantly change the battlefield or the drone industry in Israel,” says an expert who preferred to remain anonymous. “The world – and Ukraine at the forefront – is moving toward cheap, mass production of small, low-cost drones.”
The high availability of FPV drones has made them the main game-changer in Ukraine, with a production rate of about 7,000 drones per day in the Ukrainian army alone, or about 200,000 units per month. These drones are responsible for 60%-80% of all battlefield injuries and fatalities. According to FDD, this achievement was due to their high accuracy, maneuverability and the ability to launch explosives directly to the target – using small explosive charges. “Battlefield experience has proven that FPV drones are more threatening than vehicles or soldiers,” said a study released by FDD last week. “Ukraine recently shot down a Russian attack helicopter with a drone. Hezbollah may try to use similar tactics against Israeli forces, such as helicopters that the IDF uses to intercept the organization’s drones.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on April 14, 2026.
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