Israeli companies Innoviz Technologies and Cogniteam have developed a new counter-drone detection system that combines 3D LiDAR sensors with AI-powered analytics, a collaboration that reflects the escalating technological arms race in a region where aerial threats have become a defining feature of daily security concerns. The system aims to improve detection, classification and tracking of drones for security applications by analyzing 3D morphology, motion, flight behavior and signatures while distinguishing drones from birds to reduce false alarms.
The technology builds on more than a year of operational deployments of Cogniteam's ClearZone platform with Innoviz LiDAR for perimeter protection, critical infrastructure security and border surveillance. Innoviz said the collaboration is designed to help system integrators and security providers deploy accurate drone detection, localization, tracking and classification systems in environments where the line between civilian and military technology has increasingly blurred.
The Security Context
"Effective drone defense requires not only detecting flying objects, but accurately understanding what they are," Cogniteam CEO and co-founder Dr. Yehuda Elmaliah said. He said the combination of Cogniteam's analytics and Innoviz LiDAR provides detection and classification capabilities that conventional sensing struggles to match. The development comes as drones have become central to conflicts across the Middle East, used by state militaries, non-state armed groups, and increasingly by individuals in ways that blur traditional security categories.
Omer Keilaf, the founder and CEO of Innoviz, said, "We are the eyes of the defense ecosystem. Our LiDAR provides defense organizations with the exact 3D position of a threat, enabling the systems they already own to act with far greater confidence. This is proven automotive technology aimed at the most urgent security problem of our time." The language reflects how commercial technology developed for civilian markets is being rapidly adapted for military and security applications in a region where the boundaries between the two have eroded.
From Automotive to Defense
According to the companies, the module can be integrated into existing security architectures and is intended to serve as a core perception layer in broader counter-drone systems. It was developed to support deployment by system integrators, defense contractors and security providers. Innoviz said the partnership provides a scalable foundation for next-generation counter-UAS and critical infrastructure protection systems by combining its LiDAR sensors with Cogniteam's AI perception software.
Cogniteam develops AI and robotics software, including a cloud-based platform for managing and deploying robots and AIoT devices. The company provides tools for robotics firms and integrators to operate and control fleets. Innoviz supplies LiDAR technology to automotive manufacturers and other industries, offering sensors designed for long-range, high-resolution and reliable operation in harsh weather conditions. The company operates in the US, Europe and Asia and provides solutions for automotive OEMs, municipalities, commercial enterprises and defense and security applications.
The company also announced on Tuesday that Maj-Gen. (ret.) Yoav Har-Even, the former president and CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, was appointed as the chair of its board of directors. That appointment came amid the company's expansion of its focus beyond automotive applications into the defense and security industry, a shift that underscores how Israel's technology sector has become increasingly intertwined with its military-industrial complex.
Why This Matters:
The development of increasingly sophisticated counter-drone systems reflects a broader reality in the Middle East: the democratization of aerial technology has fundamentally changed the security landscape, making threats that were once the domain of state militaries accessible to non-state actors and individuals. While the technology promises improved civilian protection from aerial attacks, it also represents another turn in an arms race that shows no signs of diplomatic resolution. The rapid conversion of automotive technology into defense applications illustrates how Israel's tech sector has become deeply embedded in security infrastructure, a relationship that has economic benefits but also ties innovation to the perpetuation of conflict rather than its resolution. As both state and non-state actors acquire more capable drones, the focus remains on technological countermeasures rather than the political negotiations that might reduce the underlying drivers of aerial attacks in the first place.