Lod, Israel – An Israeli defense contractor on Monday unveiled a remote-controlled armed robot that says it can patrol battle zones, track down infiltrators and open fire. The unmanned vehicle is the latest addition to the world of drone technology, which is rapidly reforming the modern battlefield.
Proponents say these semi-autonomous machines allow armies to protect their soldiers, while critics fear this would be another dangerous step for robots making decisions about life or death.
The four-wheel drive robot unveiled on Monday was developed by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, which dubbed it the “REX MKII.”
It works with an electronic tablet and can be equipped with two machine guns, cameras and sensors, said Rani Avni, deputy head of the company’s autonomous systems division. The robot can gather intelligence for ground troops, bring wounded soldiers and supplies in and out of battle, and attack nearby targets.
Sebastian Scheiner / AP
It is the most advanced of more than half a dozen unmanned vehicles developed by ELTA Systems, a subsidiary of Aerospace Industries, in the last 15 years.
Currently, the Israeli army uses a smaller but similar vehicle called the Jaguar to patrol the border with the Gaza Strip and help enforce the blockade that Israel imposed in 2007, after the small Islamic group Hamas confiscated the small territory.
Gaza is home to 2 million Palestinians who have been largely shut down by the blockade, which is also supported to some extent by Egypt. The border area is the site of frequent protests and occasional attempts by Palestinian militants or desperate workers to infiltrate Israel.
According to the Israeli military website, the semi-autonomous Jaguar is equipped with a machine gun and was designed to reduce soldiers ’exposure to the dangers of patrolling the volatile Gaza-Israel border. It is one of many tools, including drones armed with guided missiles, that have given the Israeli military great technological superiority over Hamas.
Unmanned ground vehicles are increasingly used by other armies, including those in the United States, Britain, and Russia. His duties include logistical support, mine clearance and firearms.
The tablet can control the vehicle manually. But many of its functions, including its movement and surveillance system, can also function autonomously.
“With each mission, the device collects more data that it then learns for future missions,” said Yonni Gedj, operations expert in the company’s robotics division.
Critics have expressed concern that robotic weapons may decide on their own, perhaps erroneously, to shoot at targets. The company says these capabilities exist but are not offered to customers.
“It is possible that the weapon itself is also autonomous, although today it is a decision of the user,” Avni said. “System or user maturity is not yet there.”
Bonnie Docherty, a senior researcher in the weapons division of Human Rights Watch, said these weapons are worrisome because one cannot rely on the distinction between combatants and civilians or make appropriate calls about the damage attacks can cause to nearby civilians. .
“Machines cannot understand the value of human life, which essentially undermines human dignity and violates human rights laws,” Docherty said. In a 2012 report, Docherty, a professor at Harvard Law School, called for international law to ban fully automated weapons.
Defense magazine Janes said the development of autonomous land vehicles has lagged behind autonomous aircraft and ships, as moving by land is much more complex than navigating by water or air. Unlike the open ocean, vehicles have to deal with “road holes” and know exactly what force needs to be applied to overcome a physical obstacle, according to the report.
The technology of vehicles with automatic driving has also raised concerns. Electric car manufacturer Tesla, among other companies, has been connected to a series of fatal accidents, including an incident in Arizona in 2018 when a woman was hit by a car she was driving on autopilot.
The Israeli drone vehicle is on display at this week’s international arms and security system weapons fair in London.