Each day, devastating fires are started, ravaging agricultural fields, forests and nature reserves in the Negev region.

At the beginning of July, Israel closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing, cutting off the supply of non-essential goods as a means of pressing Gaza’s Hamas rules. Many began to worry that the Israeli army had no effective solution to the terror kites. With the success of the Iron Dome air defense system in downing Hamas rockets, local residents had expected the IDF to make quicker work of the kites.

Fortunately, it seems a solution has been found. Drones are now being effectively deployed against the fire kites. Some are drones developed and produced by Israel’s defense industry, while others are commercially available models, like the DJI Mavic from China, which is popular for being light and easily modified. The IDF is not the only military adapting commercial drones for the battlefield. Doing so saves the army...

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