IDF soldiers. The Israel Defense Forces is interested in purchasing “suicide drones.” Photo: Twitter.

JNS.org – The Israel Defense Forces is interested in purchasing “suicide drones,” an Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) official said on Sunday. IAI has developed a suicide drone called Rotem (“Juniper”) that is capable of carrying grenades or cameras, and can be remotely manned by infantry soldiers at the tactical level.

“This is a tool that will change the face of battle at the battalion commander level,” the IAI official said, Israel Hayom reported.

The cost of the Rotem is said to run tens of thousands of dollars. The IAI official said such drones have been sold to foreign militaries, but he would not specify which ones.

The weight of the Rotem is light enough that soldiers can carry up to two on their backs in special carrying cases. The Rotem carries two fragmentation grenades that explode when the drone hits its target.