From Volunteers to Centralized Procurement: The IDF’s Drone of Choice for Gaza Reconnaissance

According to reports from Globes and the Mako website, the IDF Army Headquarters Procurement Directorate has recently placed orders for thousands of multicopter drones from two Chinese manufacturers, DJI and Autel Robotics. These drones are widely used in the civilian drone market and are now being actively utilized by the IDF in Gaza for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering since the start of the conflict.

Previously, the drones used by the IDF were provided as “gifts” by volunteers and organizations. However, this marks a shift to centralized procurement as the IDF now purchases these drones directly from their manufacturers.

It’s worth noting that the United States has banned its security forces from using DJI equipment due to information security and cybersecurity concerns. The IDF press office stated that the drones being purchased are selected based on the tasks they need to perform, undergo necessary checks and modifications before being deployed.

Cheap and affordable Chinese-made drones have become increasingly popular in military conflicts, with many countries utilizing them for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering purposes. Recently, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also purchased a large batch of drones from China for use in their ongoing conflict with Russia. These drones play a crucial role in gathering intelligence and conducting reconnaissance in conflict zones.

However, some of the content links provided seem to be unrelated to this topic of procurement by IDF