Illustation of unmanned vehicle
Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Office
Unmanned aerial vehicle
Automated border
IDF intends to increase use of unmanned ground, aerial and naval vehicles to patrol border with Gaza
The border between Israel and Gaza will be the first "automated border" in the world, with robotic snipers able to fire at intruders, thanks to pictures relayed to an operations room. Automatic devices have been activated on land, in the air and at sea in order to allow the IDF to monitor the border more safely and effectively.
On the ground, unmanned security vehicles with an autonomous observation and interception system survey the area along the Gaza border.
Created by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with Elbit Systems, the vehicles are equipped with sensors to navigate varied terrain, cameras that relay field data, voice communication capabilities, and other operational means.
Operable on a preprogrammed route or by remote control, they are able to react immediately to isolate and contain intruders, while communicating with an operating station.
In addition to this network, the IDF's Southern Command soon intends to line the border with the See-Shoot defensive system, developed by Israel Armament Development Authority (Rafael) as part of Elbit Systems' Ground Forces modernization program.
Essentially a type of robotic sniper, See-Shoot uses fiber-optic communications to send a picture back to soldiers in an operations room, thus allowing them to observe the border from afar.
Once a terrorist is identified, operators are able to fire on the target immediately, by activating automated machine guns set in pillboxes along the border, which are connected digitally to the command center.
Meanwhile, in the skies, the Air Force continues to use UAV (unmanned air vehicles) to patrol overhead in the Gaza vicinity.
At sea, the navy intends to use the Rafael-developed 'Protector', an unmanned integrated naval combat system, a highly autonomous and remotely controlled device based on unmanned surface vehicles (USV).
A senior defense official said Sunday that "there is no border in the world where so many automatic devices are operated – and this is just the beginning."
