Israel is increasingly concerned with the proliferation of unmanned air vehicles throughout the Middle East, particularly with the number in the hands of terrorist organisations operating in neighbouring countries.
As a result, the Israeli air force's Patriot air defence division is changing its training regime to prepare for the new threat.
This follows the successful interception of two UAVs that entered Israeli airspace during last summer's "Protective Edge" operation in Gaza.
"Specific UAV detection training was added to the division's combat soldiers qualification," an IAF officer told the service's website.
The effort to prepare for the new threat is shared by the IAF's air control division, which is responsible for creating a continuous picture of Israeli airspace and surrounding areas.
It is acquiring a new radar system for its regional control units which is better suited to the changing threat, it says.
Israel says that Iran is the main source for the UAVs operated by a number of terror organisations.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
