HOLON, Israel - Israeli troops are now sporting gear that Dick Tracy would be proud of: tiny video screens, worn on the wrist, which display video shot by unmanned airplanes. Similar screens have been in use for nearly a year in the Israeli military's attack helicopters, helping pilots identify and strike Palestinian terrorists militants within seconds.
The technology, which is also used in tanks and armored vehicles, was a closely guarded secret until the company that developed it offered reporters a rare glimpse at the system this week. "We are fulfilling the science fiction movies that we see," said Itzhak Beni, chief executive of the Elisra Group's Tadiran Electronic Systems and Tadiran Spectralink companies.
Beni said the communications system has "shortened tremendously" the amount of time it takes to identify and strike a terrorist target. "Before it was minutes, 10 to 12 minutes. Now it's a matter of seconds," he said. The Israeli army declined to comment about the new technology. But Israeli security officials have acknowledged they can launch airstrikes so swiftly that targeted terrorists militants no longer have time to run away flee, in contrast to the early days of fighting in late 2000. They cite improvements in many areas, not any single technology. |