Tel Aviv drone investigation suggests radar was watching for Iraqi drone

Jul 21. (EUROPA PRESS) –

Initial investigations into the Houthi drone that killed one person in Tel Aviv on Friday suggest it was not intercepted due to human error, as radars were more focused on a second drone from Iraq.

The drone was launched on Friday morning and traveled more than 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) before reaching Tel Aviv from the Mediterranean after making several course changes that took it from Yemen to Eritrea via the Red Sea, then flew north through Sudan and Egypt and finally reached the Mediterranean Sea to attack Tel Aviv from the west, The Times of Israel reported.

It was a modified Iranian Samad-3 drone loaded with explosives that traveled at between 148 and 185 kilometers per hour. The Israeli Air Force knew that the Houthis had such drones, according to the investigation.

The device only appeared on radar for six minutes over the sea before appearing and disappearing several times, but was not identified as a drone. It was detected in sufficient time for a response by fighter aircraft or maritime or land-based anti-aircraft defences, but was not considered a threat due to human error by air traffic control operators.

The analyst who processed the radar data was tracking a drone launched from Iraq that was shot down by fighter jets. The Air Force has stressed that it is common for such objects to appear on radar and that they are birds or distortions caused by clouds. In addition, attention was focused on the north, east and south of the country as the most likely origin of attacks.

Following this attack, the number of radar analysts has been doubled to ensure that no targets are missed and that they are correctly classified. Air patrols have also been increased, particularly over the Mediterranean, to better detect potential threats.