Defending the Sky: A Historical Analysis of Israeli Drone Use, 1971-2014

Abstract

This article analyses the history of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), illustrating the pivotal role of drones from their initial deployment in the 1970s to their sophisticated employment in irregular warfare by 2014. Such an examination allows evaluation of the effectiveness of UAV missions in a variety of scenarios and the extent to which they provide a solution to the strategic threats that Israel faces.