- An arms maker said Europe is showing interest in its mini-computer system that turns guns into drone-killers.
- Since 2022, at least 10 countries have either acquired this tech or are actively considering it, IWI said.
- Its growing popularity reflects greater European investment in counter-drone defenses.
European militaries are showing growing interest in a technology that turns standard service rifles into last-resort drone killers, an Israeli weapons maker says, as countries look for cheaper ways to counter the surge in uncrewed systems.
A representative of firearms manufacturer Israel Weapon Industries told Business Insider that at least 10 European countries have either purchased or shown interest in the Arbel system, a micro-computer intended to better optimize a gun for shooting down drones, since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
IWI declined to name buyers and interested parties. But Europe has grown increasingly interested in anti-drone defenses.
Drones have dominated the battlefield in this war, providing Ukraine and Russia with constant surveillance and precision-strike capabilities. As both sides develop cheap ways to deal with the threat, countries closely watching the conflict from the sidelines are investing in the same.
IWI said that its Arbel system is already in use with an undisclosed number of militaries around the world, said Semion, the head of Europe for the company, who requested to be identified only by his first name for security reasons.
He said that by next year, given current trends, he expects that 40 to 50% of European countries will either have procured the Arbel system or be close to doing so, reflecting growing investment in cost-efficient anti-drone defenses across the continent.
'The new bullets on the battlefield'
Drones of all shapes, sizes, and functions are playing key roles on the battlefield in Ukraine, but one of the most problematic for soldiers on both sides is the small quadcopter known as a first-person-view (FPV) system.
FPV drones are often armed with explosives that turn them into inexpensive precision-strike weapons. To defeat them, soldiers use signal jamming to interfere with their signal connections.
However, FPV drones are increasingly being controlled by fiber-optic cables that connect directly with an operator rather than radio frequencies, making them immune to electronic warfare. The only option is to shoot them down with small arms, but even that requires precision and a lot of luck.
Drones are hard targets to hit, in many cases, with anything other than a shotgun, and even then, there's no guarantee. They can move quickly and in unexpected ways.
With drones cementing themselves as a permanent feature of the modern battlefield, militaries are racing to acquire personal anti-drone defenses, like Arbel, in case soldiers find themselves on the receiving end of one of these weapons.
Arbel is a tiny computerized system that can be integrated into light machine guns or assault rifles, giving a soldier a more accurate shot on the battlefield in scenarios that require quick reactions or against moving targets — such as small drones, Semion said.
When activated, the system lets a soldier hold down the trigger while Arbel automatically releases rounds at the moments they're most likely to hit the target. It can bring down drones at roughly 450 meters in daylight and 200 meters at night.
The system's sensors study the shooter's behavior — their weapon movement, stability, and trigger pressure. With the trigger held down, all the soldier needs to do is keep the drone in their sight; Arbel decides exactly when each round should go.
Arbel is battery-powered and adds about 400 grams to the gun, and soldiers can adapt quickly. Semion said the system is inexpensive but declined to disclose any specifics on the cost.
Semion likened the system to equipping a soldier with a helmet and bulletproof vest, saying that drones today "are the new bullets on the battlefield."
Arbel itself doesn't necessarily know what it's shooting at. Semion said it's up to the soldier to engage targets responsibly.
Early versions of Arbel have been on the market for a few years now, but only recently — after Russia launched its full-scale invasion and drone usage exploded on the battlefield — has the system been viewed as a viable anti-drone solution.
European nations, in particular, are acutely aware of the rising drone threat, and there is increasing demand for counter-drone solutions.
Arbel is one of several systems that offers to help soldiers use small arms to battle the drone threat without needing to pack on too much extra gear.
Last year, Business Insider observed US soldiers training to shoot down drones with the Smart Shooter — a rifle equipped with a special optic that tracks the threat, calculates its trajectory, and notifies the user when they have a reasonable chance of hitting it.
And this year, Business Insider observed AimLock target recognition technology at a special operations event, where the company's CEO talked about how this tech could support the counter-drone fight by enhancing various weapons.
Beyond rifle attachments and fresh pitches for shotguns as drone defense, Western countries are also racing to develop interceptor drones as an anti-drone capability, following Ukraine, which has invested heavily in the production of these small systems and uses them widely to take down Russian threats.
