Previous articles in the series:
Defense industry of Israel. Part 1
Defense industry of Israel. Part 2
Defense industry of Israel. Part 3
Defense industry of Israel. Part 4
UAI Eitan (formerly Heron TP) from IAI with a 1200 hp turboprop engine. and with a takeoff weight of 5650 kg is the largest drone in Israel
Drones and robots
For hours you can argue about who first created the drones (including the original name), but there are no questions about the actually operated systems of the modern era - they are definitely of Israeli origin. Even one of the company's earliest and most popular American drones, the Northrop Grumman RQ-5 Hunter, was based on the IAI aircraft of the same name
Ironically, even the current manufacturer of large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the American company General Atomics, is considering the Amber drone from Leading Systems as the basis for its Gnat drone, designed by former Israeli Air Force engineer Abraham Karem, who created his first drone in the early 70s. years of the last century. In truth, US operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere, such as Iraq and Yemen, where there is an active hunt for terrorists, "distract" from the fact that Israel is the leading exporter of drones today.
The world of Israeli UAVs is mainly divided between Israel Aerospace Industry and Elbit Systems, at least with regard to large-sized vehicles. Smaller tactical drones are from Aeronautics, Top-I and Steadicopter. Rafael tried to take a bite of the unmanned pie, in particular to occupy the niche of vehicles for urban combat, but a few years ago left the scene to concentrate on land and marine robotics. The article does not aim to show all Israeli drones, but rather describes the latest models that best illustrate the capabilities of these companies.
MALE category
Royal category MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance - medium altitude and long duration of flight). There are very few players in the world who play in this league, but in Israel there are two of them - IAI Malat and Elbit. The definition of MALE drones is vague and controversial, but describes a MALE drone as an aircraft capable of flying at altitudes of up to 10,000 feet (just over 3,000 meters, for many this altitude is lower than "average") for 24 to 48 hours.
HERON - IAI
The current veteran of this category, IAI's Heron drone, first flew in 1994. The Heron UAV weighing 1,150 kg, capable of staying aloft for up to 52 hours and climbing to an altitude of 35,000 feet (approximately 10,500 meters), has been ordered by at least 34 countries. Its most notable buyers are India, Germany, Brazil, Turkey and France, although the latter country's Cassidian later modernized it with mixed results, giving it the name Harfang. The Heron drone has a retractable chassis, carries four simultaneously operating sensor systems, uses a dual automatic take-off and landing system, and a satellite communication system for long-range operation.
As a rule, Heron carries on board the ELM / 2020U maritime radar or the ELM / 2055 synthetic aperture antenna, the Elk-1891 satellite communication system and various optoelectronic optical reconnaissance stations. Some, such as the drone in the photo, are equipped with radar systems, while other Israeli vehicles carry electronic and electronic reconnaissance antennas on board.
The current Hermes 450 drone weighs 550 kg and has a payload of about 180 kg. The ceiling is 5500 meters and the flight duration is 17 hours. The drone in the picture carries electronic warfare equipment in underwing containers.
HERMES 450 - ELBIT
The second on Elbit's list is the Hermes 450, which made its maiden flight in 1998. He has been in the service of the Israel Defense Forces for more than 15 years, in addition, he also became quite successful on the world stage, was sold to more than a dozen countries, including Singapore, and also, somewhat unexpectedly, to countries such as Azerbaijan, Botswana. and Georgia. It was also operated by the British as an interim solution in Afghanistan under the "supervision" of Elbit until the Thales Watchkeeper variant entered service.
Model 450, as a rule, is equipped with the Elbit Compass optoelectronic reconnaissance station under the fuselage, but can also accept synthetic aperture radar, radar for maritime patrols and plus electronic and electronic reconnaissance and jamming systems. The installation on this drone of the Italian radar of marine reconnaissance and coastal patrol Gabbiano T-20 (power 20 watts) from Selex is very popular. In addition, it can carry the slightly larger but more powerful T200 radar. UAV Hermes 450 also takes off and lands automatically, even on semi-finished strips with a transitional coating.
EITAN - IAI
Originally known as the Heron TP, this is more than a turboprop variant of the Heron. Despite a similar double-girder design, it is significantly larger and heavier. Eitan (meaning resilient), which made its first flight in 2004, has a take-off weight of 4,650 kg, which is actually four times the mass of the Heron. PT6A 1200 hp engine allows it to rise to an altitude of 13,700 meters and stay aloft for over 70 hours. It has been in service with Israel since 2009, but there is currently no information about foreign customers for it.
HERMES 900 - ELBIT
The Hermes 900 drone with a takeoff weight of 1180 kg, a payload of 350 kg, a ceiling of over 9100 meters and a flight duration of 36 hours fills the gap between the Hermes 450 and significantly heavier drones. One of the main advantages of the 900 is its large internal compartment that accommodates a wide variety of electronic systems. This is a huge advantage over an external mount or mount as there is no structural damage to the airframe and no subsequent aerodynamic testing is required. In this context, it is interesting to note that the radar is the only external component of the Hermes 450 payload when fitted with electronics from Elisra (a division of Elbit). The link from Elisra, for example, provides a line-of-sight range of 250 km.
One of the important features of the 900 is that all electronic systems and on-board equipment housed in its compartments are plug-and-play. In addition to the spacious internal compartment, the Hermes 900 drone has four external attachment points.
Possible on-board equipment options include the Dcompass optoelectronic station, the Lasso scanner (a relatively new system that carries out almost real-time updated multispectral aerial photography and provides automatic reconnaissance and mapping of very large areas), electronic reconnaissance means (usually Elisra AES-210), radio direction-finding antenna for radio intelligence, Elisra Skyfix and Skyjam systems (listen and record conversations on mobile phones and SMS, determine the location of the object, transmit the collected intelligence information to the ground and, ultimately, jam the phone), Elisra's Skeye (video surveillance system for large areas high resolution, which is able to monitor large areas, intercept events, compare images with data from the video archive). The drone 900 also has on board a system for warning and evading a dangerous collision in the air and plus a panoramic (200 °) optoelectronic sensor kit. Elisra's new collision avoidance radar system will soon be installed.
The Hermes 900 drone, which made its first flight in 2009, was ordered by the Israeli Air Force in 2010, and was tested in Switzerland; also ordered by Chile, Colombia and Mexico (for the police).
The evolution of the Hermes 450 drone will apparently never stop, judging by this option. It is equipped with a new rotary piston engine, a three-blade propeller and an experimental nacelle with Selex Gabbiano T20 marine radar.
The Hermes 900 drone showcases its spacious compartments, allowing it to carry a large number of sensors, including a maritime patrol radar
A definite boon for operators who already operate a Hermes 450 drone and want to replace it with a Hermes 900, or want to have both, is that the ground control station, communication channels, and information acquisition and operational control equipment remain the same. In the photo there is a "glass cockpit" with a HOTAS-type control system (a system for ensuring control of the drone without the need to take your hands off the engine control lever and control stick)
The Eitan drone is also being asked to try on weapons, as seen in this life-size mockup with Lahat missiles. Teaming up with Rheinmetall, the Israeli IAI offered a drone to Germany as part of the German requirements for a MALE-class Saateg drone, but they lean more towards the European program for its own UAV Euro Hawk
Drones are becoming more intelligent and therefore expensive, and their protection has become an increasing concern in recent years, especially among those who until now were considered poorly equipped in terms of air defense. Elisra (a division of Elbit), which deals with electronic warfare systems, has presented a new protection system for drones based on the conventional on-board Spectrolite defense system against modern weapons, but with power consumption reduced to 300 watts. The system is ordered by the Israeli Air Force
Lighter drones
Let's leave the world of MALE drones and move on to lighter aircraft, which nevertheless require traditional take-off and landing. In Israel, there are a couple of companies dealing with similar devices weighing, as a rule, from 25 to 100 kg and a flight duration of 12 hours or more. One of the veterans here is the IAI Searcher drone, which entered service in the early 90s and is still produced in the MkII variant. Due to the large number of these machines sold for export, IAI Malat workshops are still engaged in the maintenance and overhaul of these drones.
Newer systems in this category are Aeronautics' Aerostar and Elbit's Hermes 90.
The dimensions and characteristics of a drone similar to the Aerostar are currently attracting the attention of paramilitaries and security forces in many countries.
AEROSTAR - AERONAUTICS
Aeronautics' flagship product is the Aerostar UAV, which debuted in the early 2000s. It is powered by an engine with two horizontally located opposing cylinders with a capacity of 38 hp, developed by the Italian engineer Guido Zanzotter. The company named after him and based in the Italian city of Lugano, which produces a full line of engines of this type, was bought by the Israeli Aeronautics.
Although the Aerostar drone weighs almost half the size of the Searcher drone, its performance is roughly the same as the Searcher's in terms of size, payload and flight duration. Indeed, the Aerostar not only has high wings and a double-boom tail unit, but it has a wingspan of 8.7 meters, a maximum payload of 50 kg, a flight duration of more than 12 hours and a range of its communication channel of 250 km.
HERMES 90 - ELBIT
The lightest Hermes 90 drone in this category with a take-off weight of 115 kg was first presented at the Paris Air Show in 2009. One of the design features of the Hermes 90 is that it can be equipped with either a traditional fixed landing gear or landing runners when a flat runway is inaccessible, in which case the drone is launched using a catapult. Elbit views the Hermes 90 as a high-end tactical drone that can perform typical surveillance and development tasks with a stabilized microcompass optical-electronic surveillance station on board, as well as perform direction finding and radio reconnaissance using the Elisra Skyfix system. However, a synthetic aperture radar can be installed on board.
ORBITERS - AERONAUTICS
The Orbiter I, II and III drones developed by Aeronautics are even lighter, but also launched with a light catapult. Their wingspan is 2, 3 and 4, 2 meters and the flight duration is 3, 4 and 7 hours. Takeoff weight varies from 7 to 28 kg. Models I and II have no empennage, the airframe design is a traditional tubular fuselage with highly raised wings with upward-pointing tips. In contrast, on the Orbiter III, the wing tips that merge into the fuselage are directed downward, with small wings above the nose (not the front steering wheels). All three models have a push propeller (brushless electric motor) and land using a combination of a parachute and an inflatable shock absorber. The bow-mounted equipment is usually Controp. This is the D-Stamp or U-Stamp (day CCD camera or night infrared) for the Orbiter I, the Orbiter II has a stabilized sensor station with a Z-Stamp magnification, while the Orbiter III can carry a stabilized electro-optical station T-Stamp, which includes day, night camera and laser rangefinder.
The Orbiter III drone was first shown in 2011. Its stabilized T-Stamp optoelectronic station allows reconnaissance and target designation
Hermes 90 has a wingspan of five meters and a maximum take-off weight of 115 kg, can carry 25 kg of onboard equipment; service ceiling is 4500 meters and flight duration is 15 hours
The UAV with the Skylarlk 1 LE electric motor weighs 7, 7 kg, has a flight duration of about three hours; landing is carried out in the process of a deep stall at an appropriate height above the ground and deployment of the landing air balloon
BIRDEYE Series - IAI
IAI Malat produced a large number of Birdeye 400 drones with a flight duration of 90 minutes, but around 2010 they were replaced by the Birdeye 650 model with twice the weight (11 kg). The drone has highly raised wings with downward-pointing tips with a three-meter span that merge into a relatively developed, but no doubt lift-generating fuselage. The device is launched using a catapult, upon landing, it flips upside down and opens the parachute. The drone does not have a vertical tail unit; a pushing propeller rotated by an electric motor is located on a short tail boom. The flight duration is three hours (although with the use of fuel cells it can be increased to 7 hours). Optoelectronic equipment of Tamam or Controp companies is installed on it.
SKYLARK - ELBIT
For several years, the leader in the category of light hand-launched drones has been Elbit's Skylark (later designated Skylark-1), which has been ordered by many countries.
This model was later replaced by the Skylark 1-LE UAV (the number of operating countries reaches 20) with a longer flight duration. The Skylark 1-LE model weighing 7.5 kg and a flight duration of three hours is usually equipped with a D-Stamp or U-Stamp from Controp with a range of 20-40 km depending on the terrain. The Skylark 1-LE drone has been widely used by coalition forces in Afghanistan. Two people carry the Skylark drone itself and its control station, it only takes a few minutes for them to launch. This drone can fly even without GPS signal.
CASPER Series - TOP I VISION
Top I Vision, which specializes in observation balloons and stabilized on-board equipment, mainly for internal security tasks, also makes Casper series light hand-launched drones. She does not stand aside from the water element, having developed a "smart" robotic jet ski (see below). The Casper 250 drone it produces has a mass of 5.5 kg, a wingspan of 2.5 meters and a flight duration of 90 minutes; the range of its data transmission system, depending on the relief configuration, reaches 10 km. The onboard load includes its own stabilized Lev 2 optoelectronic kit (day or infrared camera) (Lev stands for heart). Top I Vision is also working on other types of drones, such as the Whisper tailless project. It should be noted that Top I Vision exports 90% of its products and even organized production in India.
The Casper 250 drone from Top I Vision is supplied in a compact package that includes the device itself, a data transmission system and a monitoring station
The IAI Panther triple rotor helipad represents an innovative approach to combined vertical and horizontal flight. It can fly at a high enough altitude of 1500 meters
Helipads
Vertical take-off and landing systems are a relatively new area of the Israeli defense industry, although several companies are in the business, including Israel Aerospace Industry, which created an unmanned system based on the Alouette III helicopter.
PANTHER - IAI
In its Panther project, IAI has implemented an innovative concept of an aircraft with rotary propellers (tiltrotor) rotating from electric motors: two on the wings and one in the tail section between the tail booms. While the wing-mounted rotors rotate from a vertical position (takeoff and landing) to a horizontal position for high speed flight, the tail rotor axis remains vertical for pitch stability (due to speed changes), but can rotate slightly to the right and to the left relative to the longitudinal axis of the yaw control apparatus.
The second feature of the Panther heliport is its relatively quiet operation. The Panther has a maximum takeoff weight of 65 kg, lifts a payload of 8.5 kg (usually a stabilized day / night Mini-Pop camera), a flight duration of 4 hours, and a range of 60 km. A typical suite includes three units, an integrated communications kit, and two operator consoles. IAI is currently working on a hybrid propulsion system for the Panther drone.
The Black Eagle 50 heliport is equipped with a data transmission system from Elbit and typical optoelectronic equipment from Controp (in this case, D-Stamp)
BLACK EAGLE - STEADICOPTER
The Black Eagle 50 helipad of a more traditional layout has been developed by Steadicopter since 2008 for the Israeli armed forces and has successfully passed certification. Army requirements dictate that the complex includes two vehicles and one ground station. Also, this drone weighing 35 kg and a flight duration of three hours was proposed for the Israeli fleet. The drone is equipped with a 120 cm3 water-cooled two-stroke engine.
Steadicopter is currently working on a larger heliport, the Black Eagle 300, based on a Canadian light single-seat helicopter.
Guardium ground mobile robot monitors Ben Gurion airport
Ground robots
Terrain features are undoubtedly the biggest challenge for robotic vehicles. Their flying counterparts (drones) have one main obstacle called the Earth (other obstacles are relatively rare aircraft). Their swimming cousins have vast and moderately flat expanses of water beneath them, through which they can move and in most cases remain in sight
On the ground, wheeled and tracked vehicles can get into all sorts of troubles and get a lot of problems. Some of the obstacles can be unforeseen, such as water puddles caused by heavy rainfall. Identifying them requires some form of artificial intelligence, as opposed to a fallen tree, which requires only obstacle detection sensors, such as those currently installed on passenger car bumpers.
Israel overcame many challenges in the field of ground-based robotics and became the first country to put autonomous systems at its service, even if they only patrol in familiar territory, and their weapons will only be used by the operator.
GUARDIUM - G-NIUS
The G-Nius company, formed on a parity basis by Elbit and IAI, worked for several years on the Guardium project (later designated Guardium MkI) and eventually created a workable machine, which entered service in 2007 to carry out patrol tasks to protect the border and check routes on the presence of homemade land mines. About a dozen of these machines were manufactured.
Then came the Guardium MkII variant, based on a modified hardened platform capable of taking 500 kg of payload and the ability to move day and night. Due to its good carrying capacity, the MkII variant can be used as a transporter for various loads.
A new trend today is the use of mass-produced machines, since, undoubtedly (and in spite of everything), their easily integrated electronics greatly simplifies the execution of external commands. Since all turn commands, gas pedal and gearbox are electronic signals (gas pedal, power steering and gearbox are currently devoid of any mechanical connections), included in the electronic circuits, the installation of expensive and cumbersome servos becomes completely unnecessary. Therefore, the MkIII model based on the Ford car, which was ordered by the Israeli army to replace the MkI G-nius, uses all systems and sensors (all Israeli development) from the previous MkI and II models.
The Guardium MkIII robotic vehicle being developed by G-nius can be based on a Ford vehicle with an installed combat module from Rafael
Lahav's Rex mobile robot has four-wheel drive, independent suspension and all-wheel steering. The robot is 160 cm long, 80 cm wide and 75 cm high and develops a speed of 12 km / h
Three prototypes of the Rex conveyor with a carrying capacity of 250 kg were manufactured, after which they were demonstrated to potential customers.
REX - LAHAV
Lahav has recently developed the Rex robotic cargo conveyor. The main idea behind the Rex project is to offer a self-propelled guided platform or, in other words, a mechanical porter capable of transporting fully equipped soldiers. Other tasks can be more logistically oriented, for example, the delivery of power supply elements of charged batteries, or even reconnaissance, for which all the necessary sensors are installed on the platform.
The Rex robotic platform operates in the “follow me” mode, its high off-road capability allows you to follow the squad with the equipment it needs. An active remote control mode has also been implemented, when the Rex platform, equipped with a stabilized optoelectronic kit, can, for example, climb to the top of a hill to view the terrain behind it.
Diesel engines are installed on the three Rex test platforms, but with the aim of quieter operation, the possibility of installing a hybrid diesel-electric power unit is being studied.
Small, remote controlled, castable
EYEBALL - ODF
Acquired in 2013 by the Mistral Group, ODF Optronics operates in the omni-directional imaging business for military and law enforcement. The first successful system was the EyeBall R1 A / V sensor, a self-healing ball capable of rotating at 4 rpm and providing a 360 ° panoramic image. A ball with a diameter of 85 mm and a mass of only 580 grams includes a color or black-and-white camera, LED or infrared illumination device, and a microphone. A ball thrown or rolled into a room begins to send images of the surrounding environment, and the duration of the operation largely depends on whether the backlight is on or not. The EyeBall includes a handheld display and three R1 balls. In order to achieve more mobility of sensors, ODF has developed EyeDrive, a castable wheeled / tracked robot weighing 3.8 kg, which is equipped with 4 cameras, providing 360 ° situational awareness. A fifth camera with tilt angles of ± 45 ° is used to study objects, while a microphone provides an acoustic image. EyeDrive develops a speed of up to 4 km / h and has a payload of 3.5 kg to accommodate other cameras and manipulators, but with increasing mass, the "throw" naturally decreases.
In order to improve monitoring and control, ODF has developed OWLink: in a multi-camera version, this encoded data link can work with 8 high-definition cameras or 4 standard and one high-definition cameras. Inside buildings, its range reaches 50 meters, increasing to 200 meters in open areas. The lightweight, low power OWLink system can be integrated into existing robots.
ODF Optronics' castable robots: EyeBall R1 (top) and EyeDrive
Individual reconnaissance system IRIS (Individual Reconnaissance and Intelligence System), developed by Roboteam (pictured in a drain pipe)
Roboteam's ROCU 7 remote control console features a 7-inch screen compatible with night vision goggles
IRIS - ROBOTEAM
Another company in Israel deals with mini ground robotic vehicles. Roboteam was founded on the military experience of its two founders. The first product developed by Roboteam was the Iris (Individual Reconnaissance and Intelligence System) surveillance system. The kilogram robot, made entirely of composite materials, is powered by two AA batteries. He can be thrown up to 60 meters using the "David's sling" technique or dropped from a height of 10 meters. Iris has no top or bottom and therefore, as it falls, it moves in this position. Its sensor package includes a front-facing day / night camera with ± 90 ° tilt mechanism, a dual laser pointer (visible and near-infrared) and a microphone. To enhance mobility, its nylon front wheels are larger than the nylon rear wheels, but all have six lugs for increased traction. The dimensions of the Iris are 175x205x95 mm, which allows the soldier to carry the device in a side pocket. He became the first miniature abandoned robot in the Israeli army.
Roboteam's second product is the MTGR (Micro Tactical Ground Robot), also made of composite materials and powered by a US military-grade BB-2557 battery. On a tracked vehicle weighing 5, 9 kg, very long tracked extensions are installed, which maximize the cross-country ability; the maximum speed is 6.4 km / h. The MTGR carries six cameras for all-round coverage day and night, plus a microphone for better situational awareness. The MTGR robot can be equipped with a tactical arm, an overhead camera or a Picatinny rail for easy attachment of various military tools and accessories. The MTGR robot was ordered by the UK and Poland (50 pieces by the end of 2016).
As a result of the development carried out, a big brother appeared in the Roboteam family. The Probot wheeled platform with a mass of 120 kg is capable of receiving 230 kg of payload and at the same time developing a maximum speed of 35 km / h. To increase cross-country ability, each of the four wheels is equipped with a caterpillar extension (aka flipper), which allows the Probot to climb steps and overcome difficult obstacles. In urban environments, it can operate within a radius of up to 500 meters; for semi-automatic operations, it has vision and tracking sensors, which allows the operator not to be distracted by monitoring the platform, but to concentrate on completing the task. The robot has a panoramic camera with a tilt and x10 magnification, a laser pointer and a backlight module; US military grade batteries guarantee 4-6 hours runtime.
Roboteam Probot Wheeled Platform
Roboteam offers two control units for its Iris and MTGR systems: the ROCU-5 with a 5 "screen, joystick and two buttons, and the ROCU-7 with a 7" touchscreen, compatible with night vision goggles.
Water element
The boat Silver Marlin from Elbit System with a length of more than 10 meters can be armed for offensive operations with a combat module with a 12, 7-mm machine gun
It is not surprising that Elbit Systems, with vast experience in the creation of drones and optoelectronic systems, is very active in the kingdom of Neptune. But Elbit is in good company here, as indicated by the names of the Israeli firms Rafael, IAI and Top I Vision
STINGRAY and MARLIN - ELBIT
Elbit's solutions use mission control systems akin to its top-of-the-line drone control systems, and this truly opens the door for mixed surface and air missions. The company currently offers two automatic surface vessels. The junior participant, named Stingray, is a boat with a length of 3.2 meters and a carrying capacity of 250 kg. It can reach speeds of up to 45 knots, the operating time is 8 hours, and there is a stabilization system to prevent overturning. Basically, the Stingray apparatus is used for reconnaissance and information gathering, for which a stabilized optoelectronic kit is also installed on it, also developed by Elbit.
The surface boat Stingray USV of Elbit Systems is mainly intended for reconnaissance and information gathering, for which it has an optoelectronic kit on board
The Silver Marlin boat is much larger, has a length of 10.6 meters, two diesel engines with a capacity of 315 hp. rotate two propellers, with the help of which he can develop the speed of a high-speed vessel; the duration of the work is 24-36 hours or 500 nautical miles. The displacement is 6.5 tons, and the carrying capacity is 10 times more than that of the younger brother of the Stingray, which allows you to take on board more optronic sensors and plus weapons, for example, a combat module with a 12.7 mm machine gun. For long-range control, the Silver Marlin is equipped with a satellite communication system, although there is a line-of-sight communication channel for short-range operations. The boat is equipped with a collision avoidance system.
Rafael's new robotic boat Protector 11 (pictured at Euronaval 2012) is impressive. From left to right, there are a twin Spike missile launcher mounted on a Typhoon artillery mount, loudspeakers, a Toplite optoelectronic station, two 180 ° camera systems (the second system is directed backward), a target detection radar and, finally, a powerful water cannon in the stern
The Barracuda, developed by Top I Vision on the basis of a jet ski, can be on duty in reeds for a week
PROTECTOR - RAFAEL
As already noted, the Silver Marlin boat has a good company in the form of the Rafael Protector robotic apparatus, which, according to the manufacturer, is the only system of its kind in service with several countries. The boat is available in two versions - 9 and 11 meters long. He is currently armed with a powerful water cannon that sprays 80 meters. The boat is equipped with 8 cameras providing 360 ° all-round visibility, it can be armed with a Typhoon remote-controlled installation, as well as a Spike missile launcher. The 9-ton Protector 11 is based on a V-hull and is powered by two powerful Caterpillar C7 diesel engines that power two Hamilton / Kamewa water cannons for a top speed of 38 knots.
The Protector, of course, is equipped with a laser rangefinder, a search radar and an optoelectronic device for automatic or manual round-the-clock detection, identification, tracking and targeting. Thanks to modern electronic equipment, the Protector automatic surface vehicle easily becomes a component of operational control systems.
BARRACUDA - TOP I VISION
Another new system in this area, which is smaller but not less intelligent, has been developed by Top I Vision. The Barracuda system, based on a jet ski, is specifically designed to monitor riverbanks where it is easy to infiltrate or smuggle in. The device is equipped with a stabilized optoelectronic station (of course produced by Top I Vision) and can hide in reed or mangrove thickets. He can be in "sleep" mode with the engine off for a week and wake up on a signal from the sensors.
