The Ministry of Defense said Monday that dozens of attempts to smuggle drones and military equipment into the Gaza Strip through the postal system were uncovered in recent weeks. The smuggling efforts were thwarted by security checks on the packages conducted by Crossings Authority inspectors at the Erez crossing.
Some of the packages which were recently uncovered included dozens of drone parts. On Monday, a package of ten drone engines was stopped at the crossing. The attempts to smuggle drones into Gaza are not unfamiliar to the defense establishment: inspectors in the past discovered drones hidden in toy shipmentson trucks carrying merchandize through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Sources within the defense establishment said the heavy pressure applied by a joint task force of Shin Bet, Israel Police, Israel Tax Authority, and the IDF at the crossing forced the Gazan terror groups to search for new smuggling methods for the drones the post.
Defense sources have in the pastsounded the alarm against the drone use of Gaza-based terror group for reconnaissance of IDF forces and Israeli towns near the border fence.
The packages, however, also included advanced rifle sights, componentsto improve the accuracy of rockets, devices to expand and strengthen the signal of cellular phones in low signal areas, and advanced transmitters which are illegal in both the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
The Ministry of Defense said Monday, “The equipment that was stopped was confiscated and an investigation has been launched into the people behind the smuggling attempts."
A technological solution
Meanwhile, as concerns continue over the use of drones by terroristgroups to executeattacks, Orad Control Systems announced Monday it will begin selling its new system to neutralize drones. The MC-HORIZON will be marketed to militaries and security services entrusted with the protection of airports, strategic assets, and high-density facilities including stadiums and arenas.
Orad said its system provides protection against small drones by identifying and tracking their flight path; the drones identified as hostile by the system can be neutralized by blocking their radio and GPS signals.
“In a trial we held, we proved the operational capability of the system and its ability to neutralize hostile drones from more than 2.5 kilometers,” said VP Marketing Yossi Gofer. “There are drones you can buy online that can carry equipment to gather intelligence, visual imaging, audio recordings, or even for the delivery of a 5-pound bomb. The ease with which these devicescan be procured has created a threat that has yet to be addressed.”
TheOrad system joins a slew of competitors announced by other security firms in recent months: Magna BSP revealed it made a number of developments in the field and Rafael said it was developing an advanced system to destroy drones that threaten sensitive sites.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 31, 2016
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