Israeli Armed Drone Designed for Asymmetrical Warfare

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

As the classic army versus army confrontation on the battlefield has become increasingly rare, guerrilla warfare is now more commonplace. Developed by former Israeli military and Special Mission Unit officers to address warfare’s changing landscape, a new armed drone is remotely operated by troops, user-friendly and easily carried into the field.

The TIKAD is an armed drone fitted with an assault rifle which can be used to perform anti-terrorist operations, provide immediate air support and replace troops in the battlefield. It was developed by Duke Robotics, specialized in the development of an aerial robotic system for modern asymmetrical warfare. In September 2017, the company has announced that Israel’s Ministry of Defense has endorsed Duke Robotics’ TIKAD drone as innovative future battlefield technology. According to techtime.co.il, the company said it has received an initial from the DoD.

The main component is light-arm carrier DKL-MK1-SM, serving as a software-controlled “floating” platform enabling the operation of firearms from drones, vessels and vehicles or as a stationary sniper post carried by infantry troops. The other product is a Hippogriff UAV that the company assembles, which carries the weapon platform. The integrated system is marketed as TIKAD.

The TIKAD is designed with a lightweight, real-time 6 DOF (degrees of freedom) Robotic gimbal with a weight of less than 10 kg. It has the ability to carry and stabilize up to 3x the weight of the gimbal. The system can be deployed above water and ends with a minimum risk situation. Until now, troops had to be there to investigate, according to armyrecognition.com.

The company’s proprietary robotic stabilization technology enables the TIKAD to absorb the recoil of a weapon, allowing for pinpoint targeting and shooting accuracy that can protect troops in a variety of dangerous situations. By reducing the need for ground troops, the TIKAD represents a major step towards minimizing military and civilian casualties.