Israel Aerospace Industries Unveils Hypnosis System to Disrupt Drone Swarms Targeting Strategic Sites

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has introduced a new defense system called "Hypnosis," designed to disrupt and neutralize swarms of drones and other aerial threats relying on satellite navigation. The system targets coordinated attacks involving dozens or hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched simultaneously at cities or strategic facilities, which pose a significant challenge to air defense systems worldwide.

Hypnosis operates as a "soft defense" layer by jamming and misleading the satellite navigation systems guiding these drones, preventing them from accurately reaching their intended targets. It consists of multiple deployed units working in coordination through a dedicated command and control center. Tests have demonstrated its autonomous capability to neutralize numerous threats approaching from multiple directions simultaneously.

IAI emphasizes that Hypnosis can protect sensitive strategic sites, energy infrastructure, military bases, and troop concentrations. The system was developed by IAI's Missile and Space Division, with Vice President and Division Head Guy Bar Lev describing it as a significant advancement that adds an efficient and cost-effective layer to Israel's multi-tiered defense strategy, complementing kinetic interception systems.

IAI, known for producing the Arrow 3 and Barak MX air defense systems, has not disclosed which militaries are evaluating Hypnosis or whether the Israel Defense Forces are among them. Since the outbreak of the October 7 war, IAI has accelerated the development of new technologies to address emerging threats faced by the IDF on various fronts. Chairman Boaz Levy highlighted that these innovations stem from the recognition that modern battlefields require integrated, multi-layered defenses capable of handling diverse simultaneous threats.