Bipartisan bill seeks to enhance US-Israel alliance against 'killer drones'

The bill also asks to express the sense of Congress that the United States "should enhance cooperation with Israel in developing mutually beneficial counter unmanned aerial systems technologies."

By OMRI NAHMIAS
A US Predator unmanned drone, armed with a missile, stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport. (photo credit: MASSOUD HOSSAINI/POOL/REUTERS)
A US Predator unmanned drone, armed with a missile, stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport.
(photo credit: MASSOUD HOSSAINI/POOL/REUTERS)
New bipartisan legislation in Congress is seeking to strengthen the cooperation between the US and Israel in developing technology that could counter “killer drones.”
Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Anthony Gonzalez, who introduced the US-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act on Wednesday, said that the legislation helps fill gaps identified by the US Defense Department by authorizing cooperative projects intended to thwart small, unmanned aerial systems that threaten the US and Israel.
The bill also asks to express the sense of Congress that the United States “should enhance cooperation with Israel in developing mutually beneficial counter unmanned aerial systems technologies,” Gottheimer said in a statement. “This bipartisan legislation will authorize new projects to improve our ability to detect, jam and disrupt unmanned aerial systems designed to hit a target, blow up on impact, and kill Americans and our allies. This bipartisan effort is vitally important to Israel’s security, our security and America’s interests in the region. It’s key to our fight against terror. As we’ve seen this week, with Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s barrage of rockets from Gaza toward innocent civilians in Israel, our ally continues to face a barrage of terrorist attacks.”
Added Gonzalez: “The US-Israel partnership on missile defense technology proved that our two countries have incredible capabilities to innovate and produce new security solutions when we work together – and these solutions ultimately benefit both our nations. Israel is unbelievably innovative as a country. Putting our skill sets together to develop new technology that will help keep both our nations safe makes sense as we move forward in a world of new threats related to the technological era.”
The two mentioned that killer drones are becoming an increasing threat across the Middle East, that on a few occasions Iran tried to attack Israel with drones using its Quds Force, and that there is a need to develop technology that could counter these attacks.
Last year, an Iranian drone armed with explosives infiltrated into Israeli skies to carry out a sabotage attack. The advanced Iranian drone, believed to be a copy of a US stealth drone that was downed in Iran in 2011, took off from the T-4 airbase deep in the Syrian province of Homs and crossed into Israeli territory via Jordanian airspace.
The drone was spotted by Israel and was intercepted near Beit She’an by an Apache attack helicopter.
In August, the IDF was able to thwart another drone attack. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi said that Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Al-Quds Force, personally oversaw the training, funding and preparation for the attack.
According to IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis, the IDF was able to stop the cell and was ordered last night to strike Aqraba the morning after they received intelligence that the attack would happen on Sunday.
The drones, he said, were similar to the kind used by the Houthis in Yemen against Saudi Arabia. Each of the drones was capable of carrying several kilograms of explosives, and was supposed to be operated by a group of Iranian pilots who arrived in Syria several days before the mission.