Israel has successfully completed the first flight test of a new autonomous drone system designed to detect and locate wildfires within minutes of ignition according to defence-industry.eu. The project is a joint initiative involving the National Security Ministry, the Israel Innovation Authority, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Technion, and the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority.
Israel Tests AI-Powered Drone System for Rapid Wildfire Detection
The test flight took place on Wednesday, during which the system successfully identified and located simulated fires as reported by israelnationalnews.com. Additional trials are planned to evaluate the system’s performance across different operational scenarios, terrains, and environmental conditions.
Advanced Technology and the APUS 25 Platform
The system integrates a dedicated fire-detection payload onto IAI’s APUS 25 tactical unmanned aircraft. Featuring vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, the aircraft can operate without a runway and launch from almost any location.
Unlike commercial drones that rely on batteries and have limited flight times, the APUS 25 uses an internal combustion engine. This configuration enables the aircraft to remain airborne for four to five hours, supporting extended surveillance missions in difficult terrain and changing weather conditions.
The drone’s payload combines daytime, night-vision, and infrared cameras alongside spectral image-processing algorithms and artificial intelligence. The infrared sensors are engineered to identify fire hotspots in darkness and through dense smoke. The AI analyzes incoming data in real time to detect anomalies, identify outbreaks, and calculate their location with meter-level accuracy.
Operational Use and Emergency Response
Before takeoff, a firefighter defines the search area by marking a polygon on a digital map. Once launched, the aircraft operates autonomously, positioning itself at an optimal observation point to provide a continuous operational picture.
The system transmits alerts directly to the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority’s command and control center. Officials stated that a single aircraft could eventually monitor hundreds of square kilometers. The data is intended to support incident management, improve situational awareness, and facilitate the rapid deployment of firefighting resources before small outbreaks develop into large-scale wildfires.
Perspectives From Partner Organizations
Leadership from the participating agencies emphasized the importance of connecting operational needs with technological innovation to address challenges driven by climate change and extreme weather.
This project represents another step forward in advancing innovative technological capabilities for Israel’s security and emergency organizations,
said Yaron Schone, Head of R&D Technology Department at the Israel Ministry of National Security, noting that the combination of drones and artificial intelligence can shorten response times in the field.
Moshe Levy, EVP and GM of IAI’s Military Aircraft Group, highlighted the broader significance of the project, stating that it demonstrates the organization’s ability to leverage expertise in aviation and autonomous systems for issues of national and global importance. Meanwhile, Prof. Asaf Schuster from the Technion’s Faculty of Computer Science noted that the collaboration focuses on extracting meaningful information from large sensor volumes to enable faster decisions.
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