Israeli company unveils AI-controlled turret machine gun that rides on top of military vehicles, can kill all targets in 360-degree radius

As more and more countries around the world start to introduce UAVs, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, onto the battlefield, the development of technology that can effectively counter those UAVs is becoming increasingly important. Due to the fact that drones do not require an onboard pilot and can often be equipped with guns or even missiles, UAVs can be incredibly dangerous, forcing countries like the United States and Israel to look for solutions.

One solution that the Israeli company General Roboticshas come up with is to use conventional 7.62x51mm NATO M240s or 5.56x45mm NATO MGs in a Remote Weapon System, which would essentially allow soldiers to identify and shoot down drones using precision-guided machine gun turrets. General Robotics really isn’t creating anything new; rather, they have found an innovative way to use existing technology to counter a new and increasingly dangerous threat.

The existing technology that the Israelis are now using to defend against drone attacks is their PITBULL remote weapons system turret, which has been on the Military/LE market for over a year now. Equipped with a ground surveillance radar system, a fire source locator and a machine gun, and a remote control system that allows soldiers to operate it from a distance, Israel’s PITBULL turret is a force to be reckoned with. (Related: Scientists are now calling for a ban on “killer robots” now that “progress” has given us mini-drones that can carry explosives undetected.)

Now, the Israelis are modifying their product in a number of different ways. First, the PITBULL remote weapons system turret is going to have the ability to detect incoming drones from kilometers away, which would give soldiers enough time to prepare for an attack. Second, the weapon system will attempt to interfere with the signal being transmitted between the UAV and the home base. If this doesn’t work, then third, the weapon system will attempt to shoot down the drone with whatever type of machine gun it is equipped with. General Robotics is calling their product the PITBULL ULRWS, or PITBULL Ultra Light Remote Weapon Station. (Related: Upcoming technology would allow citizens to buy drone countermeasures that interfere with drone missions, rendering them effectively disabled.)

However, as innovative and futuristic as Israel’s PITBULL Remote Weapons System is, it does have several flaws that are worth mentioning. First and foremost, there are some concerns regarding the technology’s ability to hit its target, not because there is something wrong with the tracking system, but because of the device’s maximum effective range. The M240 GPMG, for example, has a maximum effective range of between 1,100 and 1,8000 meters. While most drones that are used by the Islamic State fly at several hundred meters at the low end and potentially hundreds of meters higher than that at the high end, the likelihood of 7.62x51mm NATO rounds arching straight up into the air and then connecting with the drone is relatively small.

Notably, machine guns are designed to engage area targets, not point targets. This means that when it comes to tracking and shooting down an unmanned aerial vehicle that is moving quickly across the sky, the odds unfortunately don’t appear to be in General Robotic’s favor, unless of course the company can find a way to work around the problem.

Still, the fact that Israel is actively developing new technology to defend its country and the people that live there from potential drone attacks is encouraging, especially considering the fact that robots and machines are starting to play an increasingly significant role on the battlefield. This is the future of warfare, and countries can either adapt to it or get left behind.

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re...

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has ...

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, sp...

ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Search This Blog