Thailand Defense: IWI Delivers ARBEL Anti-Drone System

Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) announced the delivery of its ARBEL Anti-Drone System to the Thai Defense Ministry on October 26. The transfer follows a recent Thai government approval of a $104.4 million emergency defense fund. The funding aims to purchase military equipment and reinforce defenses along the Cambodian border.

Thai military personnel have already integrated the platform into their existing rifles. Company officials provided on-site training to the troops to facilitate this integration. The ARBEL system was developed by IWI following nearly a decade of design work. The fire control technology converts standard infantry rifles into precision-guided interceptors against small tactical drones.

Ronen Hamudot, vice chairman of SK Group, stated that small tactical drones have become a direct and growing threat to soldiers. He said the company developed the ARBEL ADS to give soldiers an effective means of defending themselves. The system provides armed forces with a tactical advantage in complex battlespaces.

The technology integrates directly into AR-15 platforms, IWI’s ARAD assault rifles, and Negev machine guns. Soldiers can engage aerial threats using their existing weapons, optics, and ammunition. No additional gear is required for operation. Depending on the selected firing mode, the system can hit targets up to 450 meters away using standard 5.56 mm ammunition.

Electronic sensors and gyros simplify the shooting cycle after the initial shot. The system enables effective target engagement within a window of a few seconds, a typical timeframe in real combat. IWI claims the system increases hit probability for static and moving threats by two to three times. The addition weighs only 900 grams and meets MIL-STD-810 military standards for reliability under extreme environmental conditions.

The ARBEL system is battery-operated and allows for 50 hours of continuous operation. It is optic-agnostic and mission-configurable. The built-in fire control system releases rounds when the shooter is stable on the target. IWI told The Jerusalem Post that the system compensates for shooting errors typical of combative scenarios, such as heavy breathing, fatigue, and stress.

Doron Korol, SK Group vice president for the Asia-Pacific region, noted that Southeast Asian militaries are placing greater emphasis on counter-drone capabilities. He said Thailand’s adoption reflects this growing operational priority. Korol added that the company sees rising demand across the region for solutions that help soldiers meet this challenge.

Thai military officials are currently in discussions with IWI about an additional order for the ARBEL ADS. Several other countries are at various stages of the procurement process. The company expects to announce additional deployments of the solution in the coming months.