Tamir Eshel

Last week (16 March 2023), SIG SAUER announced the acquisition of Israeli robotics expert General Robotics, a world-leading manufacturer of lightweight, remote weapon stations and tactical robotics. According to Dan Cohen, SIG Sauer Inc. CEO, combining General Robotics' remote weapons station with SIG SAUER’s lightweight squad weapons and high-pressure hybrid ammunition could revolutionize small arms for military forces worldwide.

Can rapid fielding of modern and mature 8x8 IFVs reduce the risk and enhance the combat agility of NATO’s Eastern front? The combat experience gathered in the Ukraine War reflects the need for agile land combat systems that effectively integrate maneuverability and firepower and rely on logistical support from domestic or neighboring allied countries. How can NATO get them quickly? Marrying proven systems and platforms delivered by trusted sources from active production lines is paramount in reducing risks and accelerating delivery and fielding.

General Robotics, the Israeli designer of Light Weight RCWS Systems and tactical robotics, displays advanced integrations of the company’s systems over platforms from several manufacturers. The systems are displayed by several leading integrators participating in the IDEX defense exhibition and NAVDEX naval expo opening today in Abu Dhabi.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine demonstrates the strategic shift in air warfare from direct attacks by bombers to standoff attacks using missiles. The ground-based air defenses have yet to embrace this change.

IAI has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) of the US Department of Defense (DoD) to rapidly develop and deliver “ROC-X,” a version of the POINT BLANK hybrid-missile system, designed to increase the organic precision strike lethality of small tactical teams. The Point Blank weapon has already been tested in Israel, and IAI plans to deliver the first ROC-X prototypes and training to DoD for Operational Testing and Evaluation in FY-23.

After less than three years of development, Smartshooter has reached the final milestone of the Individual Weapon Overmatch Optic (IWOO) program, successfully passing the system’s Technology Readiness Review (TRR). As part of this phase, two prototype systems were taken through a series of live-fire tests by IWTSD to ensure the system met the contract performance requirements. The systems performed well and fired day and night, using clip-on night vision devices.

International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2023) and the 7th edition of the Naval Defence Exhibition and Conference (NAVDEX 2023), which will take place on 20-24 February 2023. Organized by ADNEC Group at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, in association with the UAE Ministry of Defense, the events are set to showcase a wide range of new features and attract leading participants and exhibitors from the international defense industry.

The US Army recently completed rigorous testing on the Iron Fist Active Protection System (APS) that showed significantly improved results over previous tests. The testing completed in October 2022 of the Iron Fist Light Decoupled (IFLD) system demonstrated improvements in both durability and system effectiveness, compared to the previous testing on the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The Army is considering the system to equip its Bradley, OMFV and other light armored vehicles.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has announced it has enhanced its SPYDER air defense system with a Counter-TBM (tactical ballistic missiles) capability. The enhancement was developed in response to urgent operational requests from several customers. The program will extend the capabilities of the SPYDER's effectors and implement various Counter-TBM derivatives across the system.

Israel's Ministry of Defense has selected Oshkosh Defense to produce hundreds of hulls for the IDF's new wheeled Armored Personnel Carriers (APC). The announcement follows a process led by the Ministry of Defense's Procurement Mission in the US, in cooperation with the Tank and APC Directorate. The program is likely to produce 500 vehicles, with hundreds more deliveries expected in the future. Eitan will replace M113s in service with the IDF since the late 1960s. 

Israel Integrates "Iron Fist" Active Protection Systems (APS) in the 'Eitan' Armored Personnel Carrier and 'Panda' Armored D9 Bulldozer. A final test series completed the integration process, demonstrating successful interception tests in various challenging scenarios. The video documenting the tests depicts a new version of the APS, employing a smaller radar panel and protected launchers.

On 2 December 2022, the US Air Force publicly unveiled its new bomber, the B-21 Raider. The aircraft is the first new, long-range strike bomber in a generation; it is designed to be the multifunctional backbone of the modernized bomber fleet. Although the B-21 will be the most expensive aircraft in history, it is designed to be more affordable to operate over its service life.

The SandCat EX11 was designed and produced by Plasan, using commercial Ford F550 chassis, stripped off the standard body, and added the armored capsule designed by the company’s unique kitted-hull architecture enabling flexible configurations for different uses.

The drone attack on the Russian Navy's main Black Sea port of Sevastopol on 28 October represents a new phase in the modern drone war. According to Russian MOD, the attack involved nine unmanned aerial vehicles and seven unmanned strike boats. The Russians admit damage to one of their vessels and to one of the port barriers.