Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023: Innovation and Implications

The Hamas-led attack against Israel on 7 October 2023 marked an important watershed in non-state actor/terrorist capability with its sophisticated and integral use of innovated drones in concert with related technologies as part of a combined arms assault. Although combined arms are typically associated with conventional forces, closer attention to Hamas-led forces' combined arms use demonstrates that terrorist groups are increasingly able to employ them to considerable effect. Hamas-led forces' combined arms use differs from ISIS' preceding use in important respects, including drones' central and integral role, the drone-related innovations demonstrated, and its particularly devastating effects. Hamas-led forces demonstrated two key drone innovations: (1) the use by a non-state actor of small drones to precisely strike sensitive, high-value defences with a novel drone-delivered munition (featuring smoke-emission/target marking and delayed detonation); (2) the use of drones as a central part of a combined-arms assault by a non-state actor. A further possible innovation is the first use of a particular modification to (small commercial) drones by a non-state actor to help enable them to evade electronic countermeasures. Hitherto, important details about Hamas' drone-related innovations, and the significant implications arising from them, have remained substantially unaddressed. Therefore, this article endeavours to fill these lacunae. Consequently, conclusions are drawn regarding the threat posed by Hamas-led forces and other non-state actors who can or might employ drones and related technologies, and what might be done to effectively address them. Moreover, because these technologies and associated training and techniques are likely to continue to rapidly proliferate.