As Israel prepares to make unmanned systems a central part of its military, robots are already entering tunnels, clearing explosive threats and carrying out missions alongside Israeli soldiers.
By Hezy Laing
A robotic bulldozer rolled toward a suspicious building in southern Gaza, operated remotely by an Israeli soldier positioned at a safe distance. During the mission, the machine drove over a powerful explosive device and was badly damaged.
The bulldozer was the IDF’s Panda, and there was one crucial difference between this incident and a conventional engineering operation: no soldier was inside when the explosion occurred.
The episode, described by an IDF combat engineering officer in February 2026, illustrates why the military is increasingly sending machines ahead of its troops. A damaged robot can be replaced; a soldier’s life cannot.
Zamir announces a new era of warfare
On November 2, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir outlined a vision in which robots will become an integral part of the military’s fighting forces.
Speaking at a conference on artificial intelligence at the IDF’s Communications and Cyber Defense Campus in Beersheba, Zamir declared that the military must become a global leader in AI and robotics.
“As part of an innovative operational concept, the IDF will strengthen and develop its concept of integrated human-machine warfare,” he said.
He added that “manned units will fight in coordination with unmanned systems to achieve an operational advantage and superiority on the battlefield.”
The announcement reflects a shift from using individual robots for specialized tasks toward building entire military units around the cooperation of people and machines.
In September, Zamir announced plans to establish a new Unmanned Systems and Artificial Intelligence Branch, intended to oversee the rapidly developing field across land, air and sea. He said it was scheduled to be inaugurated by Hanukkah, in early December 2026.
Robots move into the regular fighting units
One of the most significant developments is taking place inside the Combat Engineering Corps.
Until recently, many advanced robotic capabilities were concentrated in specialist units. In February 2026, the IDF reported that it was expanding these capabilities into operational battalions, establishing dedicated robotics and autonomy sections.
The change is more than an equipment upgrade. It means ordinary combat formations can increasingly call on robotic teams as part of their regular missions.
An IDF engineering officer explained that the real advantage comes from combining different machines. A robotic bulldozer, an unmanned armored vehicle and a drone flying overhead can work together, with each performing a different task while soldiers coordinate the operation from a safer position.
The IDF has already tested this approach in a particularly revealing exercise.
In February, a robotics company attached to the Givati Brigade’s 607th Engineering Battalion practiced preparing a route for advancing forces using remotely controlled systems alone. Drones searched overhead and scanned the route, heavy ground vehicles dealt with obstacles, and bulldozers prepared the terrain before another team constructed a bridge.
The mission demonstrated how machines operating together could complete a complex engineering task without requiring soldiers to perform the most exposed parts of the work.
Entering tunnels before the soldiers
Some of the most dangerous environments for Israeli troops are underground.
Hamas has built extensive tunnel networks in Gaza, creating a battlefield where soldiers can face hidden explosives, ambushes and unstable structures.
The Rooster, developed by Israeli company Robotican, was designed for precisely these conditions. It combines a small ground robot with a drone, allowing it to roll along floors and take off when it encounters obstacles or needs to reach another level.
Its cameras and sensors send information to operators, helping soldiers inspect tunnels and buildings before entering.
Robotican CEO Hagai Balshai described one operation in which a Rooster disappeared deep inside a tunnel and never returned.
“If a Rooster wasn’t used, it could have been someone’s kid. And I’ve been there. I would give up a Rooster to solve a problem rather than a soldier,” he told The Jerusalem Post in July 2026.
The IDF also uses smaller ground robots for reconnaissance and explosive-ordnance disposal. The RONI RT-20, for example, can inspect suspicious objects and provide soldiers with information from places that would otherwise require a person to approach.
Turning old armored vehicles into robotic machines
The IDF is also finding new uses for equipment it already owns.
The Iron Beast is a modified M113 armored personnel carrier that can be operated remotely. Rather than sending soldiers in an older, vulnerable vehicle to deliver supplies near the front, the military can use an unmanned version for logistical support.
The concept is straightforward: send the vehicle into dangerous areas while keeping its crew out of harm’s way.
The IDF’s Guardium unmanned ground vehicle provides another example of soldiers and machines working together. The vehicle patrols border areas with cameras and sensors, while operators monitor its movements and alert infantry soldiers when something suspicious is detected.
From individual robots to coordinated teams
The next challenge is coordinating many different machines at once.
Israeli defense company Elbit Systems is developing this capability through FUSE and its Dominion-X operating system, which is designed to coordinate multiple autonomous aerial and ground platforms through a shared system.
The company’s One2Many concept aims to let a human operator manage large groups of machines rather than control each one individually.
Elbit announced the initiative in September 2026, reporting extensive operational experience across its worldwide portfolio. Those figures, however, describe the company’s broader systems and should not be mistaken for the number of platforms currently deployed by the IDF.
The soldier remains at the center
Robots are not replacing Israeli soldiers. They are changing how soldiers approach some of the most dangerous missions.
A machine can inspect a tunnel, clear an obstacle, investigate a suspicious object or transport supplies under fire. But people still determine the mission, interpret the information and make the critical decisions.
That is the transformation Zamir is describing. The IDF is moving toward a battlefield where soldiers and machines operate as parts of the same fighting force, with robots increasingly taking the first risks.
The Panda that absorbed an explosion in Gaza offers a clear picture of what this means in practice: a machine can take the hit, while the soldiers it was sent to protect remain out of harm’s way.
