JERUSALEM: Israel’s Squadron 200, also referred to as the first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Squadron, has been instrumental in eliminating over half of the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile launchers as the conflict enters its 14th day across the Middle East.
Digital was granted access to one of Israel’s most seasoned UAV operators from Squadron 200. “I have been flying drones for the past 25 years and other operational missions have prepared me for this war,” said the IDF Squadron leader.
He described the extremely sensitive nature of his mission to protect Israeli civilians. “Every night that my wife and my kids sleep a full night without an alarm is something I can give credit to the air force and drone operators.” Israel’s alert system warns citizens via mobile messages and loud public sirens that give advance warning of incoming Iranian missiles and drones.
The IDF drone commander stated the squadron’s primary objective is to “find rocket launchers and surface-to-air missiles that are a risk to our pilots who fly over and destroy them before they launch missiles and gain air superiority for the area and reduce the risk for civilians back at home.”
He added that “We can take a lot of credit for the reduction” in Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel.
The stakes remain high for UAV operators. Iran’s aerial campaign has resulted in 12 Israeli deaths and more than 2,975 people hospitalized.
An IDF spokesman told Digital on Wednesday that Iran has launched “many dozens of missiles with cluster bomb heads spread across Israel.” These cluster munitions are especially deadly because they kill or seriously wound with scattered bomblets that can remain active long after deployment.
Just days ago, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, Israeli military spokesman, told Digital that the army has had a “near complete success” rate in stopping Iranian drones from hitting Israeli targets.
However, the drone commander warned that the “great decrease in the number of launchers does not mean we can sit and rest.”
The IDF drone commander said, “one thing we learned from October 7 is that we should eliminate risks before they become too big.”
“The important thing is the goal of bringing peace to the Middle East,” he said with reference to when Iran and Israel had cordial relations before the 1979 Islamic Republic revolution in Iran and President Trump’s advocacy for peace in the region.
The UAV operator described the intricate operation of a drone team as “orchestra” work, where a 3-person crew — commander, pilot and operator — seamlessly coordinate their various activities.
According to the IDF, Squadron 200 operates the Heron-1 (“Shoval”) UAV, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, which is used for intelligence gathering, surveillance, support of ground forces and precision strike missions.”
The IDF said that the air force’s drones “are capable of remaining airborne for extended periods and providing real-time intelligence to forces on the ground, both day and night and over long distances.
The squadron was established in the 1970s as part of the development of the Israeli Air Force’s UAV array and has since participated in numerous operations across different arenas.”