majalah militer

February 23, 2009 -- The IDF Ground Forces today released a report about new weapons that were used for the first time by forces during Operation Cast Lead. For the past two years, the development process took place and new weaponry was put to use by the IDF, including: grenade launchers, mortars. and means of advanced sniping. This was done as part of a multi-year project designed to improve the operational capabilities of infantry forces.

During Operation Cast Lead, the IDF made extensive use of robots for the purpose of crawling under tunnels and buildings in order to minimize casualties among soldiers. One of the robots used by forces was the Bull Island, which is a camera shaped as a tennis ball that can be thrown into any building and transfers 360 degree imagery to the troops on the ground outside of the structure. This camera, as well as other robots, used by the IDF helped to identify booby-trapped houses, or buildings with armed terrorists, thus minimizing the risk of IDF casualties.

In addition, the IDF also presented a new type of APC (armored personnel carrier) that Golani forces used during the operation. The main purpose of the APC is to transport infantry soldiers, and it is characterized by high speed and extra protection, making them of more use than the previous APC model. The new APC can also carry vast amounts of troops and is able to scan and attack from within. The new APC is more durable than any other ever used by the IDF in the face of anti-tank missiles and is expected to be used by all infantry forces during this year.

Another new weapon was introduced-- the Matador missile, which is intended to penetrate structures. The missile was first designed to serve as an anti-tank missile and was later used against structures. The missile referred to by some of the commanders as "My private tank" is more powerful than the Lau missile that the IDF used previously and is also designed to protect soldiers, rather than forcing them to use large tools and bulldozers to demolish structures. (defpro)