The IDF detection systems detected a large drone last Friday night, making its way toward Egypt, in an apparent attempt to collect weapons to smuggle into Israel. Upon identifying the drone, the military decided to intercept it and foil the smuggling attempt.
i24NEWS reported that an IAF attack helicopter, which had been on a test flight nearby, was dispatched to the area. The pilot locked onto the target and received an order to open fire, but the cannon system malfunctioned, and it did not fire.
After the initial failure, a second attempt to intercept the drone was made using a different weapon, but that attempt failed as well. IDF officials noted that the incident escalated quickly, with decisions being made on the battlefield, while the helicopter had not been on standby for interception missions.
The IDF confirmed the details of the incident and said that an internal inquiry has been opened to examine the circumstances of the failure. “The IDF is addressing the phenomenon of drone smuggling in cooperation with all security agencies. The IDF continues to concentrate efforts on reinforcing and upgrading technological means along the borders to improve operational methods, and is conducting in-depth staff work on the issue in order to enhance its response to the phenomenon. Nevertheless, the defense is not hermetic."