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IDF develops Shoko drone to drop skunk water bags on protesting Palestinians

In recent weeks we’ve seen the Israel Defense Forces use drones in a variety of ways. The unmanned aerial devices have been used to shred ‘fire kites’ to pieces or to take them down with fish hooks and lines. We have also seen the Israeli Army use them to spray tear gas or to drop tear gas canisters on to crowds of protesting Palestinians. In an effort to avoid injuries among the protesters, the IDF has now come up with a new method, a drone that drops bags of skunk water to disperse crowds. The so-called Shoko drone.

The skunk water bags are designed to avoid injury

The Israeli Defense Ministry developed to the so-called Shoko drone to disperse protesting Palestinians along the Israel-Gaza border by non-violent means. The new drone application comes after 6 weeks of protesting that has resulted in more than one hundred people losing their lives and thousands more injured.

The Jerusalem Post reports that the IDF has been criticized by the International Community for using live fire against the protesters. In response to this criticism, the Israeli Defense Ministry has now developed a non-violent crowd control and dispersal technique.

The Shoko drone gets its name from a favorite Israeli treat of chocolate milk that people drink from a small bag. The Defense Ministry’s Research and Development Agency, however, is using skunk water instead of chocolate milk.

The drone used by the IDF is able to carry heavy payloads and is designed for a variety of uses. Even though crowd control was not part of the initial usage plan of the unmanned aerial vehicle, once the idea hatched to drop skunk water bags on protesting Palestinians, the drone was quickly adapted in a matter of weeks.

The Israeli Defense Ministry says it aims to avoid injury among processing Palestinians, even in the case of a direct hit from a skunk water bag.

To see the Shoko drone in action watch the video here.

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Avatar for Haye Kesteloo Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at DroneDJ, where he covers all drone related news and writes product reviews. He also contributes to the other sites in the 9to5Mac group such as; 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys and Electrek. Haye can be reached at haye@dronedj.com or @hayekesteloo