Merops Drone Defense Deployed in Middle East

0:00It's March 7th, here's what's happening around the world. The U.S. is sending a proven anti-drone system called Morops to the Middle East to counter Iranian drones. This technology has already taken down Russian drones in Ukraine and fits easily in the back of a mid-sized pickup truck. It uses small drones with artificial intelligence to hunt and neutralize enemy drones, even when communications are jammed. Allied defenses like Patriot and CHAD missiles work well against Iranian missiles, but they struggle with these cheap, hard-to-spot drones. Officials say results against Iran's basic Shahed models have been disappointing, since each drone costs under $50,000 while missiles. Run hundreds of thousands. Lawmakers and experts highlight a big math problem here. A top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee noted that firing expensive interceptors at low-cost drones just isn't sustainable. Drones often evade radar tuned for faster threats like missiles or get mistaken for birds.

1:02Ukraine has shared lessons from using similar systems against massive Russian drone attacks. Ukrainian President Volodomar Zelinsky confirmed his country is helping the U.S. tackle these same Shahed drones. Morops was first deployed in NATO countries like Poland and Romania last November after Russian incursions. Meanwhile, the Pentagon emits its facing challenges, stopping waves of Iranian drones in the Gulf region. Most systems will go straight from the manufacturer, backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, to various spots including non-U.S. sites. Industry leaders urge faster rollout of these affordable counter drone tools to protect bases without breaking the bank. The Daily News Now is grateful to our sponsor for today's episode. A pillow that plays your sound quietly, comfortably, effortlessly. Built for nighttime listening, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com