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Israel unveils the next Generation of Killer Drones

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Israel has unveiled a new generation of military drones that have the potential to completely disrupt the battlefield and transform warfare.

The most frightening new weapon in Israel’s arsenal is the TIKAD; a flying drone capable of carrying and accurately firing a semiautomatic rifle, The Times of Israel reported. TIKAD is the creation of Duke Robotics, an American company.

TIKAD is a small flying weapons platform that can also carry a machine gun, a grenade launcher, a rocket launcher, or even a sniper rifle, Popular Mechanics reported. It looks and operates much like popular hobby drones and the drones that companies such as Amazon want to use for delivery.

Israel’s Scary New Killer Drone

The TIKAD is particularly frightening because it can be used in urban settings, and would be perfect for use in terrorist attacks, or against unarmed civilians. One frightening use for TIKAD would be as a robot security guard utilizing deadly force. Another would be for a dictator to use against protestors or political opponents.

Even greater destructive power can be added to the TIKAD by adapting Gyrojet pistols or rifles that fire rocket-propelled ammunition to it, Popular Mechanics writer David Hambling pointed out. GyroJets were invented back in the 1960s but were never widely used because they were inaccurate and hard to use, War is Boring reported. Instead, they were only carried by fictional spies; including James Bond in You Only Live Twice and Nick Fury in Marvel Comics.

A Gyrojet would be a perfect weapon for a drone to use because it is recoilless. A major danger would be a Gyrojet firing TIKAD attacking an airfield or an ammunition dump. TIKAD’s drones do not carry Gyrojets yet, but they are being tested for use by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) along with several other drones.

The IDF is also is also developing two small drones that can deliver up to 60 kilograms of explosives, The Times of Israel reported. That means the drone would be capable of carrying a nuclear weapon to a target. Two examples of those drones; that look and fly like helicopters are being developed, which means that they can evade almost all existing air defenses.

Israeli unveils Drone Submarines

Another highly disruptive class of Israeli drones will operate under the sea. The Weapons Development Administration or Marfat, Israel’s answer to America’s DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is testing two drone submarines.

A larger drone sub called the Caesaron is equipped censors and is designed for intelligence gathering, Marfat reported. Another even more capable and smaller submarine is in the works.

Submarine Drone not Caesaron.

“It costs a third the amount of similar submarines in the world and surpasses them in its ability to float and move in every direction,” the Israeli Defense Ministry told reporters.

One wonders if expensive U.S. warships; such as the $13 billion aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, will have any defenses against such submarine drones. Such weapons can be deployed as smart torpedoes and mines capable of outwitting defenses, or to place explosive charges on a warship’s hull.

The age of drone warfare has truly arrived. One hopes that our military is paying attention and developing defenses against these drones. If not, a lot of our military power and America’s defenses might be as obsolete as horse cavalry and battleships.