Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: "the next major threat, which could be a swarm of
unmanned airborne platforms launched out of the Gaza Strip" .
Please note that since these off the shelf devices include GPS a swarm could
be sent to one of the hundreds of electricity distribution substations to
take it out. And thanks to their low cost, Hamas could acquire a huge
number of them. The catastrophic infrastructure damage would take a huge
amount of time to recover from as the equipment destroyed is produced by a
few companies in the world. And since this is equipment that usually lasts
for many decades the worldwide production capacity for the equipment is
pretty limited.
===========
True & False Regarding the Tunnels
The on-going public discourse regarding the underground tunnels in the Gaza
Strip still contains question marks and disinformation. In his weekly
column, Amir Rapaport attempts to put everything into order
Amir Rapaport 19/01/2018
http://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/32710

The IDF operation in which the Hamas tunnel in Kerem-Shalom was demolished
earlier this week made the headlines, but the on-going public discourse
regarding the tunnel issue (since Operation Protective Edge in 2014) still
contains some question marks and even some disinformation.

Some of the statements made this past week are only partly true. So what is
true and what is false with regard to the tunnels?

1. "This week, the IDF destroyed a tunnel the likes of which has never been
encountered before."

Both true and false.

On the one hand, apparently, almost every tunnel is "one the likes of which
has never been encountered before." Each tunnel has its own route, depth and
length characteristics, and the excavation and construction methods vary as
well.

On the other hand, the tunnel that the IDF demolished and subsequently, as
it seems, filled with massive amounts of cement and concrete, was truly
exceptional with regard to length and the severity of the disaster it could
have helped inflict: a massive terrorist attack against the Kerem-Shalom
goods transfer checkpoint above it.

The IDF attack was aimed at the opening of the tunnel, located in the
outskirts of the town of Rafah. The tunnel started in the eastern part of
the town, 900 meters away from the border fence system, passing under the
gas and fuel pipes of the Kerem-Shalom checkpoint complex and extending into
Egypt. Out of the overall route, a 180-meter long section was inside Israeli
territory.

Hamas responded promptly by stating that the tunnel was a "commercial"
smuggling tunnel operated by the Bedouins. It may have been used to smuggle
Hamas operatives into Egypt. The total length of the tunnel was 1.5
kilometers and it was still under construction during the past year before
it was destroyed.

2. "The IDF has developed a technological measure, the equivalent of the
Iron Dome system, against the tunnels."

False.

Regrettably, despite the massive investments in the development of
technologies against the tunnels (a project led by Elbit Systems in which
numerous industries participate), a "subterranean Iron Dome" or some other
magic device capable of telling its operators exactly what takes place under
the ground are yet to be developed. Presumably, the recent cases in which
tunnels were spotted involved a mix of technological and intelligence
resources.

Does Israel have an interest in creating an exaggerated impression regarding
a possible "magic cure" for the tunnel problem? Very likely.

3. "The tunnel issue is one of the most severe omissions in the history of
the Israeli defense establishment."

This statement may be somewhat exaggerated – but in principle it is true.

Over the last few years, the State Comptroller has examined the manner in
which the tunnel threat had been handled prior to Operation Protective Edge.
It is unclear whether his report regarding this specific issue will be made
public.

4. "The IDF will provide a complete solution for the tunnel threat by the
end of 2018."

Very true.

Even if a magic technological solution is not available yet, the combination
of detection capabilities of every conceivable type, including "human"
resources, with a massive engineering project of erecting an underground
wall extending to a depth of dozens of meters, will eliminate the threat by
the end of 2018, in line with the goal set by the IDF Chief of Staff. That's
the way it goes when the Israeli defense establishment decides to handle a
threat in a thorough manner, regardless of any budget restrictions.

Two problems are associated with this activity, however: firstly, the
tremendous effort invested in the elimination of the tunnels has led to a
state of high tension, which could escalate into a war none of the parties
is interested in. Secondly, the unprecedented investment will not provide a
solution for the next major threat, which could be a swarm of unmanned
airborne platforms launched out of the Gaza Strip or some other peril –
anything the creative imagination of Hamas and Islamic Jihad can come up
with.