In the fields and forests of eastern Ukraine, the ground tells a curious story of war. Strands of discarded, super-thin fiber-optic cable lie tangled across trenches and tree lines, draped like spiderwebs across the terrain. The translucent strands are the quiet residue of a technological pivot — driven by necessity under fire — back to drones that are not susceptible to radio-frequency jamming.
That battlefield lesson now sits at the center of a new U.S.-Israeli defense collaboration. U.S. defense technology company Neros Technologies, in partnership with Israel-based Kela Technologies, has announced Archer Fiber, described as the world’s first NDAA-compliant fiber-optic first-person-view (FPV) drone.
The system replaces traditional radio-frequency control with a physical fiber-optic link, a shift designed to avoid radio jamming, the Achilles’ heel of many drones.
The collaboration reflects a broader trend in defense technology, where lessons learned in active conflicts rapidly inform industrial development cycles. Rather than waiting years for formal requirements to catch up, companies are increasingly designing systems around what operators are already using — and improvising — under combat conditions.
“Archer Fiber marks a decisive leap forward in secure FPV capability,” said Soren Monroe-Anderson, CEO of Neros Technologies. “Electronic warfare is outpacing traditional radios. Fiber-optic control keeps operators connected, precise and lethal even in the harshest interference. It’s a capability the U.S. and its allies need at scale — and Neros is built to deliver.”
The core innovation is simple. Rather than transmitting control signals and video feeds over the air, Archer Fiber sends them as pulses of light through a spool of ultra-thin cable attached to the drone. Without emitting a radio signal, the aircraft becomes effectively invisible to electronic warfare systems designed to jam, spoof or geolocate radio-frequency-based platforms.
The war in Ukraine has become a living laboratory for drone warfare, where both sides continuously adapt to rapidly evolving countermeasures. Radio-controlled FPV drones, once dominant, are frequently neutralized by jamming systems that flood the airwaves. Fiber-optic drones, by contrast, bypass the spectrum entirely, remaining controllable even amid dense interference.
There are physical limitations. The drone can travel only as far as the fiber spools allow, though some have reportedly reached distances of up to 20 kilometers. The heavier payload also reduces flight time. Countermeasures include erecting netting as a physical barrier, though that tactic has also been effective against traditional radio-controlled drones. While fiber-optic drones may be immune to jamming, they can still be shot down like other aircraft or drones. The trail of fiber-optic cable can also act like breadcrumbs, potentially revealing launch or operator locations, though radio-frequency emissions are likewise traceable.
Neros and Kela say Archer Fiber draws directly from those battlefield lessons, translating frontline improvisation into a standardized, compliant system suitable for U.S. and allied forces. By maintaining a physical connection to the operator, the drone avoids the vulnerabilities that plague radio-based systems, enabling persistent control and high-quality video transmission even under heavy jamming.
The fiber-optic link also allows for beyond-line-of-sight FPV operations, expanding mission profiles that are often impossible for radio-controlled drones in contested environments. In practice, that means operators can maintain precise control over longer distances without exposing themselves to detection through radio-frequency emissions.
According to the companies, Archer Fiber has already cleared the U.S. Department of Defense’s Blue UAS program following an audit verifying that no critical components originate from China, as U.S. defense procurement tightens restrictions on foreign supply chains viewed as security risks. NDAA restrictions prohibit the U.S. government from procuring drones or critical components sourced from China or other covered foreign entities. Blue UAS clearance signals that a system has passed Defense Department reviews for trusted sourcing, cybersecurity and operational risk — a bar many commercial drones fail to meet.
Neros emphasized that Archer Fiber is not a repackaged commercial platform but one that underwent a comprehensive audit of its components and suppliers. The approach aligns with broader U.S. efforts to rebuild domestic capacity for small unmanned systems, a sector long dominated by overseas manufacturers.
“Archer Fiber demonstrates how industry is stepping up to reinforce the strong collective defense already underway between the United States and Israel,” said Hamutal Meridor, president of Kela Technologies. “By uniting American defense industrial power with Israeli battlefield-proven ingenuity, we’re enabling capability development at unprecedented speed.”
