Aaron Kaplowitz: Israels hard-won tech can solve New Jersey drones mystery and protect US skies

The surge in sightings of unidentified flying objects along the East Coast — including above nuclear power plants and the US Capitol — has panicked residents, frustrated local officials and raised serious national security concerns.While these aerial objects may prove to be harmless, their mysterious origins and unexplained nightly intrusions underscore the increasing threat posed by unmanned aerial systems, or UAS.As drone tech advances faster than countermeasures, the United States must deploy more robust detection, tracking and mitigation technologies, especially around critical infrastructure and sensitive sites.Some of the most effective tools for addressing this growing challenge may come from an unexpected source: Israel, which has honed cutting-edge technological advances during its ongoing war.Israel has long been at the forefront of counter-drone technology due to its unique security needs.Yet even the most technologically advanced countries today have vulnerabilities that constantly require new solutions.On Oct.

7, 2023, Hamas laid the groundwork for its assault on southern Israel by using inexpensive commercial drones to drop explosives on cameras and communications infrastructure along the Gaza border.Since then, Israel has been facing an array of malicious drone infiltrations. In July, Houthi operators in Yemen flew an Iranian-made UAV more than 1,200 miles and crashed it into a residential apartment building directly behind the US embassy’s Tel Aviv branch, killing an Israeli civilian in his bedroom.Days later, Hezbollah published video footage captured by its reconnaissance drones of Ramat David Airbase, at which the terrorist group launched missiles in September and October.Most recently, Hezbollah slammed a kamikaze drone into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private home.In anticipation of unmanned enemy threats, Israeli startups have pioneered systems designed to detect and neutralize drones in real time.These technolog...