Called ’Fire Weaver’ by its developers at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Israeli Ministry of Defense is now betting big on its technology as Israel’s army seeks to digitize the modern warrior on the frontline. The ministry announced a contract for the system in early February 2020 that will see the IDF’s ground forces divisions equipped with it in the coming years. The system "enables closing rapid, precise, effective and secure sensor-to-shooter loops." It works in GPS-denied environments and is based on open architecture so it can be flexibly integrated to other western hi-tech armies depending on how they want to use it.
For many years, soldiers on the modern battlefield have faced a variety of challenges, especially in urban areas, such as during the battle for Mosul against ISIS. A modern army has no shortage of different weapon systems, from tanks to artillery, drones and special forces. But harnessing them and having the commander know in real time where everyone is located is essential. It’s also essential to find the best weapon that will bring precision and reduce collateral damage, such as civilian casualties or damaging sensitive buildings. Gone is the era of carpet bombing and the casualty rates of the First World War. Such technology led to high death tolls in the last century, now it may reduce them. Israel's land forces think this digitization revolution is a key to that.