JERUSALEM – Israel’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has procured the FireFly, a lightweight loitering munition designed for infantry and special forces. C4ISRnet reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
15 May 2020 -- Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in Haifa, Israel, developed the FireFly together with the Israeli MoD. The unmanned helicopter has a canister-deployed design with two rotors, and can hover around buildings and attack concealed enemies that may be beyond line of sight or hiding.
FireFly is a rugged and lightweight unmanned system for infantry use that was designed over the last 15 years based on sketches produced as far back as the Six-Day War, when Israeli soldiers had to fight in the early morning amid trenches in Jerusalem during the Battle of Ammunition Hill.
Also taken into account during the design period were Israel’s experiences fighting militants in close combat in urban areas, such as the Gaza Strip, as well as knowledge of the difficulties armies have faced in fighting in places like Mosul, Iraq, against the Islamic State group.
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John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
