Israeli Ground Forces to Receive 5,000 Kamikaze Drones From Xtend

Israeli drone company Xtend has won a tender to supply 5,000 first-person view (FPV) attack drones to the Israeli Ground Forces.

The drone will be supplied at 3,500 Israeli new shekels ($1,044) per unit, bringing the total procurement to approximately 20 million new shekels ($5.87 million).  

The tender also covers operating stations, virtual reality glasses for operators, and includes an option for an additional 5,000 drones, Israeli outlet Globes reported.

Delivery is expected to start within two and a half months, The Jerusalem Post wrote, citing Xtend COO Hen Haim.

The procurement is expected to significantly boost the Israeli Ground Forces’ operational capabilities while providing tailored solutions to the challenges of modern warfare.

Xtend will supply 10-inch (25-centimeter) drones capable of carrying payloads of up to 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds).

The systems are expected to be fielded with combat battalions, most likely at the company level.

Procurement Criticism 

Xtend edged out rivals such as Robotican, Tehiru, CopterPix, Elbit Systems, and others to win the tender.

However, the procurement drew criticism for prioritizing low per-unit costs, which led to simpler, cheaper drone designs and made it economically unviable for some companies to compete, according to Globes.

It was also faulted for requiring the inclusion of a Chinese-made component — a video transmitter produced by a Hong Kong-based company, the outlet added.

The stipulation to include Chinese equipment was driven by cost considerations, as Israeli alternatives are more expensive.

According to Globes, the Chinese component is expected to undergo a “sterilization” process to mitigate risks of hacking and surveillance.

Not Ambitious Enough

Seemingly inspired by the war in Ukraine, the initiative seeks to equip more soldiers with one-way assault drones, though experts view its scale as insufficiently ambitious.

For comparison, Ukraine has set a goal of producing 4.5 million drones by the end of this year, while Russia is expected to manufacture between 3 and 4 million.

Xtend has prior experience working with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and has supplied its Scorpio attack drones to both the Israeli and US militaries.

In December, the company secured an $8.8-million contract to supply drone swarms to the US Department of Defense, which is expected to cover the production of 1,000 Scorpio systems.