How is drone warfare changing rapidly? An IDF interceptor explains what's next
With Russia logging over 100,000 drone strikes in a single year and the IDF going from one drone per unit to one or two per squad, Cukierman says this is the defining weapons story of our era.
In the latest Jerusalem Post Defense & Tech podcast, host Anna Ahronheim interviews Michael Cukierman, a former IDF commander and investment banker focused on Israeli defense companies. Cukierman details how the drone threat evolved during the war, starting from commercial quadcopters purchased online to sophisticated fiber-optic drones capable of bypassing traditional defenses.
These developments have sparked a billion-dollar race to develop kinetic solutions, with Israel experiencing a surge from one drone per unit to one or two per squad.
Cukierman outlines the four-layer drone interception kill chain: detection, identification, decision, and interception, emphasizing the extremely short time window of just 15 seconds for defenders to respond. He discusses past failures, such as friendly-fire interceptions during the early stages of the war, and the challenges of developing effective countermeasures, as even advanced lasers can be defeated by environmental factors.
The conversation turns to the financial aspects, revealing a competitive bidding process with German defense company Rheinmetall, which ultimately lost to a Ukrainian competitor due to valuation differences. Cukierman highlights Israel's knowledge gap in defense technology, suggesting that funding decisions often prioritize known quantities from countries like Ukraine over Israeli innovation.
He also explores the dual-use technology trend, where the same drone-detection systems are repurposed into hearing devices, and laser interceptors are adapted for welding applications. Looking ahead to 2030, Cukierman predicts a battlefield dominated by autonomous drones and systems, with human operators relegated to the rear, a scenario he believes could improve soldier safety while maintaining operational effectiveness.
This interview provides an unfiltered perspective on the future of drone warfare and its implications for military strategy and funding.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
