Are Air Defense Systems Ready to Confront Drone Swarms?

by Seth Frantzman
Defense News
September 26, 2019

JERUSALEM —
„The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities on Sept. 14 served as a reality check for countries struggling to define the level of the threat posed by drone swarms and low-altitude cruise missiles.
Now, in a region where that threat is particularly acute, countries are left to reexamine existing air defense technology.
According to the Saudi Defense Ministry, 18 drones and seven cruise missiles were fired at the kingdom in the early hours the day in mid-September.
The drones struck Abqaiq, a facility that the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank had warned the month before was a potential critical infrastructure target. Several cruise missiles fell short and did not hit the facility. Four cruise missiles struck Khurais. Saudi and U.S. officials put blame on Iran, but the government there denies involvement.“ (…)

https://www.meforum.org/59453/can-air-defense-systems-stop-drone-swarms?utm_source=Middle+East+Forum&utm_campaign=7505636ea9-MEF_Frantzman_2019_10_02_07_43&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_086cfd423c-7505636ea9-34071101&goal=0_086cfd423c-7505636ea9-34071101&mc_cid=7505636ea9&mc_eid=f545b2bfa1