Tel Aviv: FPV (First-Person View) drones have become a key tactical element in the ongoing Israel-Iran war.
Iran-backed militias, including those in Iraq, first used FPV drones to attack US locations such as Victory Base outside Baghdad, damaging buildings and apparently destroying a $5.9 million Black Hawk helicopter. These $500-1,000 drones are inflicting asymmetric casualties on US, Israeli, and Gulf targets.
Proxies in Lebanon, such as Hezbollah, employ FPV systems to target IDF tanks, convoys, and sensors with precision.
Israel purchased thousands of FPV kamikaze drones from Israeli company Xtend in 2025 for use by its special ground forces.
Foreign media reports that the Israeli Mossad has pre-positioned and operated the drones to take out air defences and missile systems. To hit Iranian security forces and infrastructure, the IDF combines FPV with AI swarms fired from “mother ships” like C-130s or Heron UAVs.
FPV drones shorten kill chains to seconds, blending ISR and strikes while evading traditional radar. Israel counters with Drone Dome, anti-drone netting, and Iron Beam lasers costing $2 per intercept, neutralising Iran’s swarm doctrine. This shift favours cheap, decentralised tactics over expensive missiles.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
