Defense Ministry awards contract worth several million shekels to develop tactical strike drones for widespread use by IDF frontline units.
By David Brummer
Israel’s Defense Ministry has awarded a contract worth an estimated several million shekels to develop and manufacture a new generation of low-cost tactical attack drones for the IDF, according to Israel National News.
Ondas, the company selected for the project, said the contract is part of a broader Defense Ministry effort to expand the military’s use of tactical drones and autonomous systems on the battlefield.
The new drone is being designed for widespread deployment among frontline units, with an emphasis on low cost and autonomous operation. The system is intended to give troops a readily available strike capability while reducing the resources required to operate individual platforms.
According to Ondas, the project will cover the development of the drone itself as well as the systems needed to operate it in the field.
These include autonomous capabilities, mission integration, systems engineering and production, along with integration into the IDF’s existing command-and-control networks.
Drones have become an increasingly prominent part of modern warfare, providing frontline forces with relatively inexpensive platforms capable of surveillance, targeting and precision strikes.
The war in Gaza and the wider conflict in the Middle East have further highlighted the role of unmanned systems on the battlefield, with militaries increasingly looking to deploy drones at lower levels of command and in larger numbers.
Ondas develops systems in several areas of unmanned warfare, including counter-drone and air defense systems, aerial intelligence, attack drones and unmanned ground vehicles.
Its platforms use artificial intelligence-based command-and-control and mission-management software to coordinate drones, sensors, robotic systems and military units.
The company said the new contract will expand its role in Israel’s defense sector and support its efforts to develop and produce autonomous systems for military customers in Israel and abroad.
