Drones have a crucial impact on almost every single offensive or defensive operation in which the IDF is involved, Artillery Commander Brig.-Gen. Neri Horovitz said at the 40th graduation ceremony for drone pilots.
“In nearly every operational event, whether offensive or defensive, a drone is involved,” he said at the ceremony.
Horowitz also said that due to the huge success and impact of drones, they have added new and additional categories of drone units to keep up with the military’s needs.
Palmachim Base Commander Brig.-Gen. Omri Dor said he was pleased that recently, the country and the IDF finally permitted publicizing its use of drones after years of keeping the well-known “secret” at least partially obscured from the public’s view.
Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar said that drones had been vital in recent weeks for following and capturing terrorists in the West Bank to try to gain control over the waves of terror that Israel has been experiencing cyclically since March of this year.
Further, he said that all recent operations against Hamas in Gaza were heavily dependent on drones for collecting intelligence, targeting Hamas personnel precisely while avoiding collateral harm to civilians and, essentially, for keeping up a pace of attacks that would deter Hamas from future rounds of fighting.
Course graduates have already completed six months of general drone training. They then have three months of more specialized drone training after which they are placed in various drone operational units.