IAI says Israeli military is using its teaming system for unmanned ground vehicles

IAI refers to its unmanned version of the D9 as the RobDozer, while the IDF calls it the Panda. (Israel Aerospace Industries)

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has confirmed that its unmanned ground systems have been used in recent Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operations.

The company released a video during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2024 conference in Washington, DC, in October showing unmanned M113 armoured personnel carriers and D9 armoured bulldozers in action in locations that appeared to be in the Gaza Strip to illustrate the ‘robotic combat task force' capability it has developed. It said unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have also been integrated into the task force but the video did not show what types have been used.

“During the recent conflict, technologies developed recently at IAI enabled the IDF to carry out fully robotic combat missions, drastically reducing the risk to Israeli troops,” Amir Geva, IAI's executive vice-president for North America, said in a statement released with the video. “These missions, including clearing paths, bridging, and countering IEDs [improvised explosive devices], typically pose high risks but were successfully completed from planning to execution using robotics.”

There have been earlier claims that some of the vehicles being used in Operation ‘Swords of Iron' have been unmanned as M113s with remotely operated weapon stations and unusual additional antennas have been seen in the Gaza Strip.

The M113 was used as the platform for the IDF's Carmel programme to develop autonomous systems for ground vehicles, which IAI was selected to continue in 2021. IAI also advertises an unmanned version of the D9 it calls the RobDozer and has also been referred to as the Panda by the IDF.