Military insights: Why does the Iron Dome frequently fail to intercept Hezbollah's drones?

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Hezbollah's assault drones have managed to traverse over 20 kilometers towards Acre, with videos documenting their flight over settlements and towards their targets without being intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome.

Why does the Iron Dome frequently fail to intercept these Hezbollah drones?

According to a military expert and a civilian technology and information expert who spoke to LBCI, intercepting any airborne object requires detection and tracking by radar. The radar's failure to always detect these drones is attributed to their small size, which allows them to evade radar detection.

Additionally, these drones can fly at very low altitudes, making them visible to the naked eye but difficult for the radar to detect. Some drones are made from materials or carry equipment that renders them undetectable by radar.

One expert pointed out that the Israeli Iron Dome was initially designed to counter rockets, not small, low-flying drones. 

The sporadic launch of a few drones rather than a swarm also contributes to their elusiveness, unlike the large Iranian drones launched against Israel on April 15, which were detected and shot down by radar due to their size and formation.