The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

The Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) has disclosed that Europe is interested in its mini-computer system, 'Arbel System', that turns rifles and light machine guns into drone-killers. The company has said that since 2022, at least 10 countries have either acquired this technology or are actively considering procuring it. This is because of Europe's growing involvement in supporting Ukraine in the US-NATO war on Russia. With the current geopolitical dynamics, Europe and Britain's support to Ukraine is likely to go up further with Germany, France and Britain intent on greater support to Ukraine, and Ukraine's entry into Europe in the offing. European militaries are showing growing interest in IWI's technology that turns standard service rifles into last-resort drone killers, as these countries look for cheaper ways to counter the surge in uncrewed systems.

The Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) has said that since 2022, at least 10 countries have either acquired its mini-computer system, 'Arbel System', that turns rifles and light machine guns into drone-killers or are actively considering procuring it

Drones have dominated the battlefield in the Ukraine War, providing Ukraine and Russia with constant surveillance and precision strike capabilities. As both sides develop cheap ways to deal with the threat, countries closely watching the conflict from the sidelines are investing in the same. IWI has not disclosed the European buyers of the Arbel System and the interested parties, but Europe is obviously increasingly interested in beefing up its anti-drone defences. According to Semion, Director of IWI for Europe has stated that IWI's Arbel system is already in use with an undisclosed number of militaries around the world. He has further said that by next year (2026), given current trends, he expects that 40 to 50 per cent of European countries will either have procured the Arbel system or be close to doing so; reflecting growing investment in cost-efficient anti-drone defences across the continent.

FPV drones are increasingly being controlled by fiber-optics cables that connect directly with an operator rather than radio frequencies, making them immune to electronic warfare.

First-person-view (FPV) drones are the biggest nuisance for soldiers on both sides in the war in Ukraine. They are cheap and are often armed with explosives that turn them into inexpensive precision-strike weapons. To counter them, soldiers use signal jamming to interfere with their signal connections. However, FPV drones are increasingly being controlled by fiber-optics cables that connect directly with an operator rather than radio frequencies, making them immune to electronic warfare. The only option is to shoot them down with small arms, but even that requires precision and a lot of luck. The Arbel system primarily consists of a microprocessor, motion sensors, a trigger sensor, a control unit, and a rechargeable, field-replaceable battery. It can be inserted into a gun. Arbel is battery-powered and adds about 400 grams to the gun, to which soldiers can adapt quickly. Semion said the system is inexpensive but declined to disclose any specifics on the cost. Semion likened the system to equipping a soldier with a helmet and bulletproof vest, saying that drones today are the new bullets on the battlefield.

Arbel gives the soldier a more accurate shot on the battlefield in instances that require quick reaction against moving targets such as small drones. When activated, the system lets a soldier hold down the trigger while Arbel automatically releases rounds at the moments they're most likely to hit the target. It can bring down drones at roughly 450 meters in daylight and 200 meters at night. The system's sensors study the shooter's behaviour, their weapon movement, stability, and trigger pressure. With the trigger held down, all the soldier needs to do is keep the drone in their sight; Arbel decides exactly when each round should go.

When activated, the system lets a soldier hold down the trigger while Arbel automatically releases rounds at the moments they're most likely to hit the target

Other systems like Arbel are also coming up that offer to help soldiers use small arms to battle the drone threat without needing to pack on too much extra gear. In 2024, American soldiers were observed training to shoot down drones with the Smart Shooter mounted on a rifle. The Smart Shooter is equipped with a special optic that tracks the threat, calculates its trajectory, and notifies the user when they have a reasonable chance of hitting it.

The good news is that Arbel is going to be Made in India, according to news reports of December 3, 2025. Speaking to Indian media, IWI CEO Shuki Schwartz said, "We are in discussions with our Indian customers. Once we reach a deal, under Make in India, Arbel will be produced and implemented in India too." During Operation Sindoor, India faced rising drone attacks from Pakistan, making this technology crucial for the Indian defence capabilities, without needing dedicated anti-drone systems on the frontlines.

The good news is that Arbel is going to be Made in India

Arbel uses a complex algorithm to study the operator's behaviour at the trigger to determine when they are on target and then hits it quickly and accurately. Once integrated with a gun, it allows a rifle or gun to independently fire follow-up shots at a target after the first shot is fired, using the operator's behaviour to determine the optimal moment to fire each shot and the rate of fire to be used. The system does not take away any of the existing operational capabilities of the gun on which it is fitted, unlike many other systems which require operators to lock on and often inhibit the user from shooting, which is dangerous in rapidly changing battlefield scenarios. Arbel gives the operator flexibility and control to shoot at the target of its choice without depending on any optical detection from the system, which could sometimes fail, especially in bad visibility.