Israel's war machine continues operations in the Gaza Strip and prepares to invade there. Among other things, the Israeli military has developed an impressive arsenal of robotic and autonomous weapons systems that military analysts say may see their first large-scale deployment and use in this conflict. Let's take a look at these weapon systems straight out of a sci-fi movie.
Drone kamikaze
The Harop belongs to the category of kamikaze drones. It can carry a 16 kg warhead to hit a target up to a thousand km from its base. Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel's state-owned arms manufacturer, Harop is capable of autonomously searching for, identifying and attacking targets using artificial intelligence technology. It is 2,4 meters long and almost three meters wide and can fold its wings to be launched by a mechanism from both land and sea. When the Harop detects a target that meets its criteria, it will automatically attack at speeds in excess of 400 km/h by directly hitting the target and detonating its explosives. The drone starts a mission programmed to have autonomous operation and action but if deemed necessary there can be intervention from the control center to either change course and target or abort the mission if deemed necessary.
AI turrets
In 2022, residents of a large Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank experienced firsthand the ways in which autonomous weapons systems are changing the nature of warfare. In the Al-Aroub refugee camp, which is often the scene of protests and unrest, Israel has installed artificial intelligence turrets equipped with weapons that fire a new type of plastic bullets that theoretically incapacitate but do not kill a person, as well as tear gas and stun grenade launchers. Created by arms company Smart Shooter, the turrets use an artificial intelligence system that automatically detects, tracks and locks on targets deemed hostile.
Autonomous battle robot
Designed to "keep the troops out of harm's way" the Rex MKII is one of the world's most advanced autonomous combat robots. Equipped as both a transport or reconnaissance vehicle and a weapons platform, this hybrid vehicle can operate silently at distances of hundreds of km using an onboard generator. Controlled by AI Machine Learning software developed by the Israeli military, the Rex completes missions with complete autonomy.
The Robo Fighter
Weighing seven tons and about the size of a small car, RoBattle is designed to take on dangerous tasks that would otherwise be assigned to human soldiers. It can be fitted with a number of different payloads, including sensors and radars, manipulator arms or remote-controlled weapons. RoBattle autonomously performs 'Advance Guard, ambushes, acts as decoy, convoy and force protection. It performs surveillance, acquisition and reconnaissance missions while possessing advanced attack capabilities. Sensors combined with built-in artificial intelligence allow the robot to respond to threats around it without it being clear if and what kind of human involvement is required to use lethal force.
Prostate
The first unmanned inflatable surface vessel developed for the Israeli Navy, the Protector is a highly autonomous remotely operated vehicle. The vessel patrols along the coast of Israel but has been used by the Republic of Singapore Navy in anti-piracy missions. The Protector moves at a speed of about 90 km/h and is capable of firing small arms and even missiles without endangering the lives of any human crew. Equipped with both a non-lethal water cannon and remote-controlled weapon systems, this robot can be deployed in many different roles. The Protector also has test launches of missiles in testing.
"Invisible" kamikaze
The Spike Firefly recently entered the arsenal of the Israeli military and was used for the first time in combat a few months ago. Small in size and weighing only 3kg, the Spike Firefly is a suicide drone specifically designed for use in dense urban environments such as Gaza. The weapon is placed on its edge, armed and then piloted by a soldier using a tablet.
With a flight range of about 15 minutes, the drone is designed to deliver small amounts of explosives to locations believed to contain enemy soldiers but not visible to other observation instruments. Six of these drones have been flown into houses around the Jenin refugee camp to destroy terrorist targets, including a command center that housed dozens of explosives. The Israeli military claims that no Palestinian civilians were killed during the operation. The drone can also operate autonomously and detonate over predetermined targets, although a human operator is always able to abort the attack at any point.
Source: naftemporiki.gr