Duke Robotics
The Israeli military is buying drones that can hold machine guns, grenade launchers, and other weapons from a Florida-based startup, according to Defense One. Duke Robotics was co-founded in 2014 by a former Israeli battalion commander, Lt. Col. Raziel “Razi” Atuar, who said he was motivated to develop the small drone, dubbed TIKAD, in order to prevent loss of life in street battles. “You have small groups [of adversaries] working within crowded civilian areas using civilians as shields. But you have to go in. Even to just get a couple of guys with a mortar, you have to send in a battalion and you lose guys. People get hurt,” Atuar told Defense One. TIKAD is operated remotely, so that troops don’t have to go directly into a conflict zone. Israel’s defense ministry didn’t comment on the purchase.