Israel reactivates Machbet anti-aircraft system to counter drone threats

Israel, due to the high threat from Houthi and Hezbollah drones, has decided to reactivate Machbet anti-aircraft systems, which were retired from service nearly two decades ago. Here is what they are capable of.

Israel decided to bring the Machbet anti-aircraft systems, which were retired in 2006, out of deep storage. This is in response to drone attacks from Hezbollah and Houthi, which sometimes manage to penetrate the Israeli air defence system.

Although easy to shoot down, low-flying drones are challenging targets because, due to the radar horizon, ground-based radars can only detect them below 40 kilometres.

The best way to detect such targets is to position a radar in the air and use it to coordinate aircraft or ground systems. The second issue is the unit cost of shooting down; as such, drones cost a few thousand dollars, while, for example, a Tamir system missile is worth USD 40,000–50,000.

This is not an economical method of combating such threats because the best way is to use gun systems, where a burst of rounds costs a few thousand dollars at most. Israel had these types of systems in storage, which just need to be reactivated to save more expensive anti-missile weapons for tougher targets.

Machbet is an Israeli modernization of the older M163 VADS systems, locally known as Hovet, from the 1990s, based on the M113 armoured personnel carrier. It was a point defence system based on a 20 mm six-barrel Vulcan M61 electric-driven cannon, which was upgraded with a four-missile short-range FIM-92 Stinger launcher and a communication link enabling the acquisition of targeting data from other radars.

Additionally, Israel added an optoelectronic head with a thermal imaging camera and, most likely, a laser rangefinder to combat low radar signature targets and avoid the threat from anti-radiation missiles.

The range of this system is not impressive, as the Vulcan M61 electric-driven cannon has a maximum range of 3 kilometres, increasing to about 5 kilometres when firing Stingers. A huge plus is the low cost, as even dozens or hundreds of 20 mm rounds are negligible (in the U.S., they have been sold for even less than CDN 40 each) compared to anti-aircraft missiles.

Even considering the Vulcan M61's high rate of fire of 6,000 rounds per minute, with a few-second burst, the cost would be CDN 13,000 or less. Another advantage is that the ammunition used in the M61 Vulcan is the same as in the F-16 or F-15 aircraft, simplifying logistics because Israel will have a large supply.

Available options include: M53 armour-piercing incendiary ammunition capable of penetrating 6 mm of armoured steel from a distance of 1 kilometre, M56A3/A4 high-explosive incendiary with a fragment impact range of approximately 20 metres, and PGU-28A/B armour-piercing with explosive and incendiary charge, being a compromise combining the effects of the above two types of ammunition in one.