Armenia’s Killer Drone Sparks Controversy: Azerbaijan Upset with Israel, India Drawn Into Dispute

Baku/Tel Aviv: Tensions have flared between Israel and Azerbaijan over the sale of a high-tech suicide drone to Armenia, with allegations that India played a role in transferring the technology. The Armenian firm Davaro recently unveiled the Dragonfly-3 drone, which Azerbaijan claims closely resembles the Israeli Harop drone, a system it considers highly strategic and potentially dangerous. According to Azerbaijani sources, India may have supplied the technology to Armenia, though New Delhi has not commented.

The Controversy Explained
The Harop drone, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, was used by Azerbaijan against Armenia during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is considered highly lethal due to its “loitering” capability, which allows it to circle over a target for up to nine hours before striking, combining features of both a drone and a missile. The system carries approximately 23 kg of explosives, operates in silent mode, and detonates on impact, making it a “suicide drone” with a range exceeding 1,000 km. India has also utilized similar drones in past military operations.

Israeli and defense sources report that Dragonfly-3’s loitering technology, demonstrated by Davaro last October, may have reached Armenia via India. The drone was reportedly developed under India’s “Make in India” initiative, incorporating transferred Harop technology.

Azerbaijan’s Response
Azerbaijani officials expressed strong dissatisfaction with Israel over the sale, arguing that Armenia now possesses a strategic capability that directly threatens Azerbaijan’s security. According to a military source cited by the Jerusalem Post, “Azerbaijan operates some of the most advanced Israeli defense systems and understands technology dissemination. We know Israel did not intend to empower Armenia, but such transfers benefit only those who seek conflict where none exists.”

Despite rising tensions, Azerbaijan and Israel have recently strengthened ties. On February 3, both nations signed a memorandum of understanding on artificial intelligence at the Israeli Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, with Netanyahu inviting Azerbaijani President Aliyev to visit the capital. Israel Aerospace Industries released a brief statement denying the assessment and asserting that all international collaborations follow legal and Ministry of Defense guidelines.

Strategic Implications
Experts, including Joseph Epstein of the Turan Research Center and Bar-Ilan University’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, note that while India’s potential role in technology transfer may be perceived as indirect, Armenia’s close ties with Tehran make the situation sensitive for the region. Azerbaijan remains wary of any capability that could alter the strategic balance, especially in a conflict-prone area like the South Caucasus.

The controversy underscores the growing complexities of regional drone proliferation and the delicate interplay between Israel, India, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in the high-tech defense domain.