Armed Robotic ground vehicles patrolling Israeli borders

Israel has unmanned ground vehicles that can carry remote-controled weapons and sensors for surveillance missions for patroling the Gazan border.

The Tomcar-based Guardium, produced by Israeli defense company G-NIUS Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicles, has spent the past six years patrolling the Gaza border, carrying out reconnaissance missions. This year, it will be replaced by a UGV called Border Patroller, which will soon enter operations.

The new UGV, also produced by G-NIUS (a joint venture company established by Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems), is based on the Ford F-350 Super Duty Truck, which the army has converted into a remote-controled vehicle.

At the start of 2015, there were eight to ten robotic vehicles patrolling Israel’s borders.

THE BORDER PATROLLER vehicle can be armed with a remotecontroled weapon and reconnaissance means. . (photo credit:G-NIUS)

Guardium MK III – Fully-autonomous unmanned ground vehicle for complex combat missions

Geared for use in complex combat missions, the Guardium MK III, Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle™ (UGCV) is fully autonomous, featuring excellent reconnaissance and weapons operation capabilities, as well as superb maneuverability in even the harshest warfare conditions. , The Guardium MK III creates deterrence by rapid closure of the sensor-to-shooter loop, identifies and classifies hostile activity, gives advance warning to military forces, and provides a threat response all without endangering personnel. The Guardium MK III is part of the G-NIUS Unmanned Ground Systems suite of unmanned ground vehicles for defense and security applications.

* weight 3000 kg
* 2000 kg payload
* Up to 120 kph (in semi autonomous mode)

Avantguard MK II

Already trialed and certified by the Israeli army and relying on the technological strength and capabilities of the Guardium UGV™ system, the AvantGuard® Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle (UGCV) expands the applications envelop to further encompass ground maneuvering combat missions.

Based on varied of tracked platforms such as tactical amphibious ground support (TAGS) vehicle, APC and others, the AvantGuard® UGCV features superb maneuverability even in harsh terrain

In the coming years, the Ground Forces Command plans to complete the development of a robot that will serve infantry and combat engineering units engaged in tunnel warfare.

The robot will patrol underground and gather information for units on the surface, allowing soldiers to avoid entering terrorist tunnels, which are often booby-trapped death traps, where enemy gunmen more familiar with the surroundings can lie in wait. The poor visibility and air quality in the tunnels create additional challenges for soldiers.

“A robot can be risked, and it doesn’t have to deal with a lack of lighting. It doesn’t have to breathe, and it won’t have to worry about getting shot,” said Tarbelsi.

The robots will map out tunnels and buildings, enabling combat soldiers to gain an accurate picture of a battle arena before entering it.

The Ground Forces Command and the G-NIUS company are also developing a robot called Loyal Partner, which will be armed with remote-controled weapons and be able to maneuver in terrain, serving as an advance guard for combat soldiers. It could be deployed into areas filled with hidden explosives and shooting ambushes.

GUARDIUM-MK II

Relieving the extreme weight load on the dismounted soldier, the Guardium MK II™, a versatile – multi purpose autonomous unmanned round vehicle, replenishes forward troops with up to 300 kg of ammunition and supplies without endangering manned vehicles over IEDs stricken routes.

An offspring of the operational Guardium UGV™, he Guardium MK II™ equips the warfighter with robust toolkit for a variety of operational scenarios as route proving, base protection, ISTAR and combat logistic support.

Height: 2.2m/7.2ft/86in
Width: 1.8m/5.9ft/70in
Length: 3.42m/11.2ft/134.5in
Weight: 1,200 kg
Payload: 300 kg
Max speed: 50 km/h (in semi-autonomous mode)
Endurance: 24 hours and up to days of continuous operation
Power Plant: Heavy and standard fuels’ engines are available

Avantguard MK-1

SOURCES – G-NIUS, Jerusalem Post