A screengrab taken from a video released by Hezbollah shows an Israeli D9 armored bulldozer moments before being hit by an FPV drone attack, in Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, with the date of the video given as April 15, 2026.
Israel's largest defense contractor is developing hardware to combat exploding drones used by Hezbollah against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, including through the potential use of laser-based defense systems, its CEO told Reuters on Tuesday.
Hezbollah has used the cheap, easy-to-assemble exploding drones to attack occupying Israeli troops, which have refused to withdraw from Lebanese territory despite an April 16 truce.
Difficult for air defenses to thwart, the drones are also being used in the Russia-Ukraine war. Under pressure to address the threat, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Monday to escalate attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. But he did not spell out a plan to address the drones, which can evade Israel's high-tech jamming technologies.
In an interview, Bezhalel Machlis, chief executive of Elbit Systems, said the defense giant was actively working with the Israeli defense ministry to develop a quick solution to the drone challenge.
He said that could involve an "energy weapon solution," adding that the company is "very active in energy weapons such as lasers."
"There are other means, which are also relevant to this threat. We are heavily involved in the development of a solution to this challenge," of exploding drones, Machlis said after Elbit reported big gains in first-quarter revenue and profit. Its Nasdaq-listed shares rose 8% in morning trade.
Israel has been using low-tech solutions like nets to stop the First-Person-View drones, controlled with fiber-optic cables, from hitting troops.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah said its fighters used exploding drones and rocket fire against Israeli forces advancing toward the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar Sharqieh, describing it as a response to Israeli strikes on Lebanese villages.
The drones and the Israeli defense industry's involvement in developing technology to address them come amid a rise in Israeli defense exports, with demand for Israeli military tech such as munitions, laser and electronic warfare systems, and night-vision systems up sharply since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.
Machlis said Elbit was seeing rising demand in Europe, the U.S., and the Asia-Pacific, as well as from the United Arab Emirates.
"We are active in this region," Machlis said of Elbit's Middle East business. "It is fast-growing."
