Israel is deploying remotely operated M113 armored personnel carriers as loitering munitions and for logistical missions in Rafah and Jabalia in the Gaza Strip, according to media reports including on the Bulgarian Army website. The American-made M113, known as the Zeldat, was locally adapted to suit arid conditions.
This is not the first report of the creative use of the M113, the IDF's oldest armored personnel carrier. In February, Italian news agency RID quoted unnamed sources close to the IDF as saying they were being used for logistical missions and were also “deployed as vehicle-borne suicide bombers (VBIED) – a tactic previously seen with ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and during the war in Ukraine.”
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In recent years, the US Army has made no secret of the new use of the M113. In May 2002, it published a statement about trials conducted in Utah, where an armored personnel carrier was deployed with a hybrid drive and imaging capabilities, including thermal imaging and 360-degree vision for the operator. The refurbished APC carries weapons systems, including precision missiles, unlike the original M113, which carried a 0.5-inch M2 Browning heavy machine gun. The new systems increase the lethality of refurbished armored personnel carriers, while fighters are less vulnerable in the field.
As Globes previously reported, the Iron Swords were the first in which the IDF made widespread use of remotely controlled armored personnel carriers including a remote-controlled weapon system manufactured by Elbit Systems. This is a kit that can be mounted on a heavy vehicle such as an APC, and driven remotely.
The M113 Zelda was originally an amphibious armored personnel carrier (able to move on land and sea) designed to transport infantry forces to the battlefield. The armored vehicle is 4.86 meters long, 2.68 meters wide, 2.5 meters high, and weighs 12.3 tons. In its original version, it was able to reach a maximum speed of about 64 kilometers per hour on the road with a range of about 480 kilometers.
The Bulgarian Army reports that communications systems are necessary to operate the M113 drone. High-bandwidth, low-latency communication links, such as radio frequency (RF) or satellite communications, are installed to ensure reliable data transmission between the UGV and the control station, enabling real-time control and feedback. Autonomous navigation software is another important component, using algorithms to process sensor data and make decisions about route planning and obstacle avoidance.
Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on June 2, 2024.
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