IAF shoots down Syrian Yasir UAV

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

A Syrian Air force unmanned air system (UAS) that entered the Israeli airspace was shot down by a Patriot missile.

The  Iranian-made UAV , identified by foreign experts as the Yasir type was detected after crossing the border, and the Israeli Air Force launched a Patriot missile that shot it down. Israeli sources assess that the UAV was operated to gather data about the rebel forces in Syria.

On July 14 An Israeli Air Force (IAF) Patriot surface-to-air missile has shot down a small drone that was launched by the Hamas terror Army and navy units have collected the debris. Sources said that it seems that the drone was launched just to check the Israeli reaction time.

Intelligence sources have said in recent months that Hamas is making an effort to deploy unmanned aerial systems and to arm them with explosives. The IAF is adapting some of its systems and adding others, to be ready for a widespread unmanned air systems (UAS) attack on targets inside Israel in future military confrontations.

Unmanned systems conference 2014 – Israel

UASs flew into Israeli airspace from Lebanon on at least two occasions in 2012 and 2013, apparently on photography missions and attempts to probe air defenses. They were shot down by IAF fighter aircraft

Israeli sources said that the threat, especially from Lebanon, may range from radio controlled drones carrying small explosive charges to UAS carrying payloads of hundreds of kilos. According to well-informed sources, Israel believes that the Hezbollah in Lebanon received some heavy Iran-made UASs, as Iran is the organization’s patron.

The IAF preparedness includes systems that can detects small UASs before they cross the border and systems that can shoot them down immediately after detection. While the main UAS threat is from Lebanon the IAF has taken into account a similar threat from the Gaza Strip. Different systems were deployed and they were used to the intercept of the drone.