Hezbollah, Yemen Drone Downing Challenge 'Israel', US Air Dominance

By Al Mayadeen English

A report from Breaking Defense underscores the challenge posed by Hezbollah and the Yemeni Armed Forces to the air superiority of the US and "Israel".

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah and Yemen's Armed Forces carried out a series of operations downing drones, revealing their enhanced air defense capabilities and tactics, which are now believed to be pushing "Israel" and the United States to review their air operations plans in the region, experts told Breaking Defense. 

Since the outbreak of confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation along the Lebanese border, the Israeli occupation force suffered the loss of five medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) and high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) Hermes-450 and Hermes-900 drones to missiles fired by the Resistance in South Lebanon.

During the same period, the United States lost three MQ-9 Reapers over Yemen to Yemeni missiles fired by the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), according to the report. 

The Breaking Defense report highlights that those numbers were never seen before by Hezbollah or the Yemeni Armed Forces, describing the recent Yemeni downing of an MQ-9 drone as "record-breaking". 

What are experts saying? 

Given the recent success, experts believe the US and "Israel" may need to adjust their concept of operations while operating unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms.

“A growing credible threat against coalition medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) and even high altitude long-endurance (HALE) drones can indeed undermine [Israeli and US] air dominance (being able to do whatever they want in the air) and jeopardize their ability to obtain timely intelligence,” Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote in an email.

Shaan Shaikh, deputy director and fellow for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Missile Defense Project, told Breaking Defense that the air defense systems used by Hezbollah and the YAF could “deter or decrease Israeli and US drone operations in Yemen and Lebanon. Alternatively, Israeli and US operators may choose to eat the costs and continue their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.”

Senior adjunct international defense researcher at RAND Corporation, Said Bruce Bennett, said that "Israel and the United States will need to gradually just their operating procedures. Those adjustments would likely involve some combination of operating differently, enhancing electronic and other countermeasures, and trying to identify and suppress adversary SAMs." 

Also, the Director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Michael Eisenstadt, stressed that the air operations in Lebanon and Yemen are "getting more challenging." 

What comes next

On June 10, Hezbollah attempted to shoot down an Israeli fighter jet, raising concerns about potential risks to Israeli air dominance, which has not faced serious challenges since the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.

According to experts, the process of shooting down "much faster and more sophisticated jet fighters" will push the US and "Israel" to keep developing their technology to keep up with the evolving capabilities and threats.

Bennett said, “Israel and the United States will need to gradually adjust their operating procedures. Those adjustments would likely involve some combination of operating in a different manner, enhancing electronic and other countermeasures, and trying to identify and suppress adversary SAMs.”