Israel has a new member of its army: artificial intelligence.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on September 19 that its new AI-powered Barak tank is in operation and joining the army’s fleet of tanks, Knewz.com has learned.
The tank has new targeting capabilities, is designed to monitor its surroundings and can process and present information to soldiers in a simple and precise manner. According to the IDF, the tank is designed to be able to zero in on and target an enemy before it can be attacked.
The tank, which has been in development for more than five years, was designed by the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) Ground Forces, the Armored Corps and the 401st Brigade.
The AI allows soldiers operating the tank to see their surroundings with one click of a button. The tanks are equipped with Elbit Systems’ IronVision, helmet, which allows the crew on board to “see through the vehicle’s armor.”
The technology is designed to allow the crew on board to detect enemies and navigate safely in different areas, especially difficult terrain in urban areas.
The AI technology also allows for the tank to personalize the experience of each soldier based on their rank and needs at the time and it’s designed to learn the particular soldier’s needs, so they don’t have to learn how to use new functions often.
The Barak is part of the Merkava series, but it differs from other models in the family. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) plans to have the Barak replace the older Mark 3 tanks in the future.
The Barak tanks are now in the training phase as Israel gets its troops up to speed on the new technology.
“On the occasion of marking 50 years since the Yom Kippur War, and the heroic battles fought by the Armored Corps defenders of our land, we receive further proof of the relevance and strength of the tank as a fundamental and decisive component of the ground forces,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“The new era ushered in by the ‘Barak’ tank is an extraordinary leap and a clear expression of the technological capabilities that continually enhance and secure the qualitative advantage of the IDF, both in defense and offense. I extend great appreciation to the engineers and professionals of MANTAK, the Ground Forces, and all those involved in this project.”
The post Meet Barak, Israel’s New AI-Powered Military Tank Ushering in a New Era of Weaponry appeared first on Knewz.
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Author: David Wetzel
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