The Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) of the US Department of Defense in cooperation with the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) in the Israel Defense Ministry, together with an Israeli high-tech company Xtend, have recently launched a new pilot program to test the potential employment of Skylord drones by the US military.
Xnet is an innovation-based company that aims to develop technological solutions that "integrate humans and machines" and to go beyond the physical boundaries of reality, according to the company's website.
Skylord, a drone system that can easily be integrated with various platforms, is intended to be used by soldiers operating in hostile environments and by first responders.
The drone, designed to fit the demands of both the US and Israeli militaries, is the fruit of an ongoing cooperation between the military sector and the civilian company.As part of its field testing, the drone will be used by US military personnel.
One of the system's key features is its use of augmented reality (AR), meaning that a human operator can single-handedly scan large areas and engage targets, if necessary, from a safe distance by using a hand-operated controller unit.In addition, the drone is equipped with counter-unmanned aerial vehicle measures (C-UAV) which are designed to protect troops from incoming aerial threats.
The state of the art drone has been tested in Israel, demonstrating successful interceptions of incidence devices launched from Gaza.
Lt.-Col. Menachem Landau, Head of the UAV Branch in the DDR&D in the Defense Ministry welcomed the move by saying that "We look forward to expanding our collaboration with our partners in the CTTSO of the US Department of Defense, in developing advanced technology to protect troops and enhance operational capabilities."
The US military is undergoing major modernization efforts in an attempt to better prepare for future wars. The new pilot program is the first step towards adapting "smart" systems that will ultimately be used in many parts of the US armed forces.