(Israel Hayom) Yoav Limor - At the height of the War of Attrition in the late 1960s, Israel needed a way to take photographs deep within Egypt. Using airplanes proved problematic because of Russian anti-aircraft missile batteries deployed in Egypt after the 1967 Six-Day War. The technology division of IDF Military Intelligence developed a high-resolution miniature camera that could be used to take covert photos deep within enemy territory. Completed in 1969, this was actually the first prototype of an aerial photography drone. The R&D unit, one of the most secretive in the IDF, has been awarded 33 Israel Security Prizes over the years for its unique solutions. The unit's innovations are not patented. Exposing them would immediately result in the development of counter-technology to block them. Some of the innovations have taken years to complete, and many have cost fortunes, but the breakthroughs they enable - in terms of intelligence, operations and technology - have paid off immensely. Every system must be 100% dependable. One member of the unit compared the innovations to a "match that has to be guaranteed to light up on the first try in the field under stressful conditions. You can't light it ahead of time because it will burn out by the time you need it. So our job is not only to develop it, but to know without a doubt that when the fighters take it to the field, it will light successfully."
2017-05-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive