13/8/2014 IsraelDefense

For the first time ever, a remote controlled APC participated in the fighting in Gaza, manufactured by G-NIUS

For the first time ever, a remote controlled, unmanned APC participated in combat during Operation Protective Edge.

Information about the unmanned activity was first published in "Israel Hayom".

The APC delivered four tons of supplies each time it entered the field. Soldiers activated it from a control center outside the border, equipped with a screen that transmitted the image seen from the driver's side of the carrier, and gas and brake pedals.

The APC was presented to IsraelDefense by the CEO of G-NIUS, the company that develops it, at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris two months ago. G-NIUS is a joint company of IAI and Elbit Systems, which also manufactures the first UGV operating in border patrol missions, called "G-NIUS".

The company's CEO, Brig. Gen. (res.) Yoav Hirsch, noted that a line of new development are on the agenda, and in fact it is possible to make all manned vehicles – unmanned.

The APC that took part in the fighting in Gaza is a M-113 APC, called "Zelda" by the soldiers (its official IDF name it "Bardelas"). A similar APC was hit by anti-tank fire during the fighting in Shuja'iyya. Seven soldiers were killed by that fire, and six others were killed during the rescue operation

23/5/2013 IsraelDefense

The Israeli Ministry of Defense presents robotic systems in the field of unmanned land vehicles for the first time, some already operational and in IDF service, and some currently undergoing various tests

The Israeli Ministry of Defense's Administration for R&D of weapons and technological infrastructure (MAFAT) has invested considerably in the development of land robotic tools throughout the past decade for the purpose of increasing operational efficiency, expanding the operational capabilities of the IDF Ground Forces and reducing the risk to infantry units. Now, MAFAT has revealed the next generation of unmanned vehicles expected to revolutionize the battlefield for the first time.

The video released shows a G-Nius unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that has been operational in IDF service for the past four years along the border with the Gaza Strip. The UGV brought a fundamental change in perception with regards to protecting security barriers, and the Israeli defense establishment is expected to expand its use in the following years.

The Guardium (developed with G-Nius) is a prototype for an autonomous UGV for maneuvering missions. Compared to the first generation, which travels along axes that were fed in advance to the system, the Guardium can travel all of the paths marked on a map autonomously, by providing all of the axis systems for a certain area to the vehicle in advance. The operator can point to a specific point on the map, and the vehicle will reach it on its own, while dealing with and bypassing obstacles encountered along the way. The autonomous capability developed on the basis of this vehicle can be implemented in additional platforms. In the future, it will be possible to send autonomous vehicles ahead of any convoy, sent in order to open an axis before any main force.

In addition, the first unmanned APC can be seen in a field test in Israel: an example of the implementation of advanced robotic technologies onboard AFCs for complex operational missions that require navigability. Another is an autonomous robotic tool for engineering missions being developed by Israel Aerospace Industries - an all-terrain vehicle developed to deal with explosive charge arenas. The advanced vehicle integrates autonomous motion capabilities with the autonomous ability to handle explosive charges - exposing charges planted in the ground, digging and bringing them to safe locations.

Watch the clip: