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Relevance: GS-III (Border Security, Defence Technology & Indigenisation) Source: Defence News, June 2026

1 · The Core Issue

Since April 2026, Hezbollah has been using a terrifyingly simple weapon against the Israeli army: fibre-optic drones. These cheap devices (costing just $300–$400 each) have managed to bypass Israel’s ultra-advanced “Trophy” tank protection system, resulting in several casualties.

First used by Russia in 2024, this technology proves a scary point: a cheap glass thread is making multi-billion-dollar, high-tech air defence systems look totally useless.

2 · How it Works

Think of a fibre-optic drone like a high-tech kite. It is a small First-Person-View (FPV) drone physically tied to its pilot by a hair-thin glass cable. A spool of this cable (up to 30 km long) is attached to the drone and smoothly unwinds in the air as it flies toward its target.

The Setup
Wired, Not Wireless
No radio signals. No GPS. It uses the glass cable to send instant, clear video to the pilot. The cable only carries data; the drone flies using its own onboard battery.
The Mechanism
Why Jammers Fail
Normal drones use radio waves (RF) that militaries can easily block or hack. Fibre-optic drones emit zero radio signals, making traditional jamming completely useless.
The Threat
David vs. Goliath
A $400 drone destroying a $4 million tank changes how wars are fought. Its only weakness? The glass wire is fragile. If it snaps on a tree, the drone instantly dies.
India’s Action
Fighting Back physically
India is focusing on physically destroying these drones with the SAKSHAM grid, D4 system, micro-missiles (Bhargavastra), and laser weapons.

  • Why India must care: In May 2025 (Operation Sindoor), Pakistan launched hundreds of drones to overwhelm Indian defences. While they haven’t used fibre-optic drones yet, this cheap tech spreads incredibly fast.
  • A new way to fight: Because we can’t “jam” these wired drones, militaries must shift to “hard-kill”—shooting them down. India is testing rapid-fire guns and laser weapons to smash them out of the sky.
  • Finding the invisible: Since these drones are radio-silent, we have to “see” them using heat sensors and sound. India’s Akashteer system is already networking radars to spot such silent threats.
  • Homegrown tech: India supports its local startups through iDEX (under the Defence Ministry) and the Technology Development Fund (TDF) to build these future weapons.

UPSC Revision Box
FPV Drone First-Person-View drone. The pilot flies it by looking through a live camera, just like a video game.
Loitering Munition A “suicide drone” that waits in the sky, finds a target, and crashes into it to explode.
RF (Radio Frequency) Invisible signals drones normally use to communicate. Militaries can easily track and block these.
Electronic Warfare (EW) Using signals to hack or jam enemy tech. Completely useless against wired fibre-optic drones.
Soft-kill vs Hard-kill Soft-kill = hacking or jamming. Hard-kill = physically shooting it down with guns or lasers.
iDEX A government initiative funding startups to create modern defence technology for India.
TDF Technology Development Fund, run by DRDO, to support Indian MSMEs in defence innovation.
Akashteer The Indian Army’s automated air defence system that links radars and weapons together.

Test Your Knowledge
Q. With reference to fibre-optic drones and India’s defence, consider the following statements:

  1. Fibre-optic drones are tethered to the operator by a cable that carries both data and electrical power to keep the drone flying.
  2. These drones do not use GPS or radio signals, making them immune to traditional electronic jamming.
  3. The Technology Development Fund (TDF) is run by DRDO to support indigenous defence innovation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 2 and 3 only    (c) 1 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

  • Statement 1 — Incorrect: This is a common trap! The glass cable only carries data and video. It does not carry electrical power. The drone still relies on its own battery to fly.
  • Statement 2 — Correct: Because they communicate entirely through a physical glass wire, they emit zero radio signals. This makes standard jammers completely useless against them.
  • Statement 3 — Correct: DRDO manages the TDF to help Indian MSMEs and startups build homegrown defence solutions.
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