Hezbollah's drone supply: Key components sourced from Europe

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

In a February 2022 speech, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah openly acknowledged the party's manufacturing of drones.

These drones have played a critical and influential role in the ongoing war, used by Hezbollah to target deep within Israeli territory. The issue of Hezbollah's drones has now surfaced in Europe, particularly between Spain and Germany.

Spanish police announced the arrest of four suspects—three in Spain and one in Germany. 

The arrests followed the detection of Spanish companies, owned by Lebanese nationals, trafficking large quantities of drone components capable of carrying explosives. These parts may have been used by Hezbollah to assemble hundreds or even thousands of drones.

Investigators reported that the suspect companies purchased various components, including electronic guidance systems, propeller systems, gasoline engines, over 200 electric motors, and materials for drone bodies and wings, among other parts.

Why are these components significant? 

Experts indicate that these parts constitute approximately 75% of a drone. While the drone's body can be manufactured in Lebanon, three critical components cannot be produced locally:

The first component is the propulsion system which requires imported propeller systems. The second is the power system which includes electric motors for short distances and gasoline engines for longer distances. The guidance System is the third component, requiring imported electronic guidance components, enabling remote control of the drone or programming it to reach a target, loaded with explosives while avoiding jamming attempts.

With these components, Hezbollah can assemble both military and suicide drones, which have become decisive factors on the battlefronts.