Drone Proliferation: Israel Shoots Down Unidentified Drone

[JBS]

Any guesses where it's from? I suspect as these things become cheaper and more effective these instances will become even more commonplace. Drones have the distinct possibility of becoming the ICBM of our time.

http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-air-force-shoots-down-small-unpiloted-aircraft-131440054.html

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli air force shot down a drone after it crossed into southern Israel on Saturday, the military said, but it remained unclear where the aircraft had come from.

The drone was first spotted above the Mediterranean Sea in the area of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to the west of Israel, said military spokeswoman Avital Leibovich.

It was kept under surveillance and followed by Israeli air force jets before it was shot down above a forest in an unpopulated area near the border with the occupied West Bank.

Leibovich said it was shot down at about 10 a.m. (0700 GMT), after it traveled east some 35 miles across Israel's southern Negev desert.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak praised the interception as "sharp and effective".

 

[Crusader74]

Video footage... http://video.foxnews.com/v/1881993093001/israeli-air-force-strikes-down-drone

 

[hoepoe]

Most probably Hezbollah. They've sent drones in before - during the 2006 2nd Lebanon War they sent a drone almost Haifa and another time up North.

What's interesting is that it was in/near the Gaza area before coming into Israel. No where near to Lebanon. No doubt a dry run/test to see how far, how soon and how long it would last.

Although reports are saying that the IAF tracked it for 30 minutes and didn't shoot it down because of safety on the ground; my opinion is that they were caught with their pants down. there's no logical explanation for not shooting it down immediately.

H