Israel has gradually transitioned from using basic unmanned aerial reconnaissance to deploying a fully integrated, AI-driven robotic warfare ecosystem, fundamentally shifting from human-operated drones to autonomous swarms and lethal ground robots.
By Hezy Laing
Over the past 25 years, Israel has transitioned from utilizing basic unmanned aerial reconnaissance to deploying a fully integrated, AI-driven robotic warfare ecosystem, fundamentally shifting from human-operated drones to autonomous swarms and lethal ground robots.
In the early 2000s, Israel’s unmanned capabilities were primarily focused on surveillance, with platforms like the Elbit Hermes 450 providing real-time intelligence.
By the 2006 Lebanon War, UAVs were heavily used, but the true evolution began as these platforms evolved into loitering munitions, or “suicide drones,” such as the IAI Harpy, designed to detect and destroy radar systems autonomously.
The last decade witnessed a pivot toward urban combat robotics designed for the Gaza Strip.
The IDF first introduced the G-NIUS Guardium, an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) based on a Tomcar chassis, to patrol the border, reducing the need for soldiers in high-risk areas.
This evolution accelerated rapidly with the introduction of AI-driven targeting systems, such as “Habsora” (The Gospel) and “Lavender,” which, by 2023–2024, were capable of identifying thousands of potential targets, effectively speeding up target acquisition by AI rather than humans.
By 2025, the battlefield saw the deployment of “first of its kind” robotics.
Elbit Systems’ ROOK and IAI’s REX MK II began transporting logistics, surveying, and operating lethal weapons, with some systems, like the Robo-Dozer (an unmanned D-9 bulldozer), operating autonomously to clear paths and destroy obstacles.
Combat engineering, specifically by the Yahalom unit, utilized robotic platforms to explore and destroy Hamas tunnels.
Companies like XTEND brought remotely operated, AI-powered drones that can enter buildings, map environments, and identify threats in real time, reducing close-quarters combat risks for soldiers.
IAI has also unveiled the Medium Robotic Combat Vehicle (MRCV), a system that operates autonomously with a 30 mm gun and can launch smaller drones, acting as an armed wingman for ground forces.
The integration of these tools into the IDF, particularly within units like Lotar and the Yahalom combat engineers, means that robots now form a “pack” patrol, using AI to divide sectors and respond without human intervention.
This shift has transformed the battlefield from one where drones support humans to a new era where autonomous systems, such as those used by the IDF’s Yiftah unit, are proactive and sometimes autonomous agents in the kill chain.
