{"id":39088,"date":"2018-12-11T17:07:45","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T17:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/11\/rafael-envisions-mothership-for-optionally-manned-vehicles\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:09:03","slug":"rafael-envisions-mothership-for-optionally-manned-vehicles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/unmanned\/2018\/12\/11\/rafael-envisions-mothership-for-optionally-manned-vehicles\/","title":{"rendered":"Rafael envisions mothership for optionally manned vehicles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

JERUSALEM \u2014 Israeli defense company Rafael is working to create a network of manned and unmanned armored vehicles, with one acting as a mothership to coordinate the use of their weapon systems against targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With such a suite of armored vehicles, an operator could manage drones and a variety of weapons systems. Inside the company\u2019s prototype, several screens display a 360-degree picture of what is happening outside, and a map shows the locations of friendly forces. The mothership vehicle could slave the capabilities of other vehicles who have a better view of a target to adjust and hit the threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rafael said the technology already exists to transform any armored vehicle \u2014 from armored personnel carriers to tanks \u2014 into this \u201cultra-modern combat system\u201d that simultaneously acquires and neutralizes multiple targets. But how quickly would armies want to move in this direction?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe many of the forces that will start this program will go in several steps and will not go straight to the complete autonomous capabilities,\u201d said Shmulik O., a former Israel Defense Forces armored corps brigadier general who is now the head of Rafael\u2019s innovation program center. The former officer\u2019s last name is omitted due to his involvement with a sensitive project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located at Rafael\u2019s headquarters north of Haifa, the system the firm has developed initially sought to reduce the number of people needed to operate a large armored vehicle while keeping them safe inside the vehicle at all times. With two chairs, one for the mission controller and another who deals with attack and defense management, the system allows for optional autonomous driving. But the designers realized that besides having a computer system that manages many of the tasks previously performed by humans, a third person could be integrated into the vehicle to control other missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\t