A rifle that decides, mid-trigger-pull, when to let the round go, not the shooter, is now fielded or in procurement across an estimated 10 to 15 European countries, according to Israel Weapon Industries (IWI). The system, called ARBEL, does not detect drones or aim the weapon. It does one thing: it controls the timing of trigger release once a soldier has already found, tracked, and decided to engage a small aerial target.
That narrow scope is central to how IWI positions the system, and to the questions worth asking about it. As small first-person-view (FPV) drones have become one of the defining threats to frontline infantry in Ukraine and beyond, a wave of counter-drone products (detection radars, jammers, dedicated interceptor weapons) has entered the market. ARBEL is different in that it is not a new weapon at all, but a fire-control module retrofitted into the lower receiver of a standard AR-15 platform, a rifle already carried by the soldier.
The Defence Blog sent Adam Fraser, Chief Product Manager at IWI, a set of questions covering ARBEL’s development and testing history, the performance data the company is prepared to share, operator training timelines, the system’s limitations, and where IWI sees the technology heading next.
ARBEL was specifically designed as a last-line defensive capability against small tactical drones, particularly FPV platforms that have become increasingly common on modern battlefields. These systems are inexpensive, widely available, easy to weaponize, and operate at low altitudes and relatively short engagement distances, making them a persistent threat to frontline forces despite their relatively limited individual payloads. ARBEL addresses this challenge by providing every infantry operator with an immediate self-protection capability using the rifle they already carry, rather than relying on specialized equipment or dedicated counter-UAS teams that may not be available when seconds matter.
Through real-world use and testing, the ARBEL has performed successfully. The world of drones is quite vast, and this has proven to be the solution against small tactical drones, particularly FPV platforms.
As to whether there are plans to adapt the ARBEL to address a broad range of threats beyond small FPV drones, as a small arms manufacturer, our focus is to develop a counter-drone capability within the small arms space. We are not looking to address larger drones, as that space is already quite full with counter-UAS solutions. Our objective was to leverage the weapon already carried by the soldier and ask a fundamental question: how can we enable that same weapon to provide an effective defense against the small tactical drones that are increasingly used for surveillance and to carry small payloads against frontline forces? The ARBEL was created as a result, providing soldiers with an immediately available last-line defensive capability against a threat that is increasingly present on the modern battlefield.
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