December 10,
2008: Over the last two years, Israeli firms have developed several remotely
controlled weapons for guarding the Gaza security fence. This is not just a
fence, but a network of sensors for detecting Palestinian terrorists attempting
to cross, or set up bombs for use against Israeli patrols. The Israeli border
with Gaza is 51 kilometers long, and most of it is in desert or semi-desert
terrain. For a long time, most of the border was patrolled by troops in
vehicles, while parts of it, near gates, were also guarded by manned
watchtowers. But the Palestinian terrorists have been persistent in attacking
the fence, and trying to get through it. None have ever succeeded, and
survived. But the patrols were often attacked. One Israeli soldier was
kidnapped two years ago, and some are killed each year.
The solution
has been a system of unmanned towers and vehicles. The Sentry-Tech pillbox
towers were developed four years ago. These are unmanned, armored towers, about
15 feet tall and six feet in diameter. At the top of the tower is an armored
shelter that conceals a remotely control machine-gun. This technology is
similar to that used for many armored vehicles. The tower also contains
vidcams, and other sensors. But the
remotely controlled machine-gun has a vidcam that can see at night and the
ability to enlarge and enhance the image. The operators are at a central
location (and are mostly female soldiers). If intruders are detected, the
operator opens the top of the tower and brings out the machine-gun. The 12.7mm
machine-gun has a range of 2,000 meters. Some towers use a 7.62mm machine-gun,
with a range of 800 meters. Allowing for some overlap, 16-17 of these towers
can cover the entire Gaza border.
In addition
to the towers, remotely controlled armed vehicles have also been developed, to
reinforce the towers or patrol areas where there are blind spots. Two years
ago, the AvantGuard vehicle was introduced. This one used sensors and software
that enabled it to patrol along planned routes, and was capable of some cross
country operation as well. The AvantGuard mounted a remote controlled gun
turret equipped with a 7.62mm machine-gun. The vehicle had digital cameras
facing every direction, and used pattern recognition to identify potential
threats (like people sneaking around where they are not supposed to be), or
obstacles on the road. The idea was that a pair of human operators could
control a dozen or more AvantGuard vehicles. This system was particularly
effective at night, because it had night vision and moved quietly. Weighing
only 1.3 tons, the AvantGuard was protected against rifle fire and fragments
from shells and roadside bombs. AvantGuard was adequate for guarding industrial
parks, but not the vast stretches of Negev desert, along the border with Gaza.
Building on
the AvantGuard technology, another firm later developed the Guardium. Using the
same TomCar vehicle, and remote control turret, the Guardium has better sensors
and software. Guardium is pitched as "smart" enough to be used in
urban areas, and to serve as an emergency response vehicle. That is, these
would be stationed along isolated stretches of border, ready to drive off to
deal with any terrorists who had gotten through the fence. The Guardium would
thus arrive before a human quick reaction team, which would be stationed
farther away.
