The Israeli defense ministry is buying Rafael’s “Fire Weaver” networked sensor-to-shooter system for its ground forces divisions.
Scheduled to become operational in the coming year, the system was developed jointly by the IDF’s ground forces, DDR&D (the defense ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development) and RAFAEL, as part of the IDF’s battlefield digitization process.
The system connects all battle participants to enable closing rapid, precise, effective and secure sensor-to-shooter loops.
Fire Weaver provides the tactical forces with a GPS-independent geo-pixel-based tactical common language among all the sensors and shooters which grants optimal situational awareness and improved understanding of the battlefield. Targets, blue forces, sensitive locations and other points of interest, are shared immediately and are augmented on the system sights, based on 3D models using advanced computer vision technology. This enables fighters to perceive the precise location of the enemy from any vantage point and any distance regardless of their own position.
In addition, the system uses Rafael’s artificial intelligence algorithms, processes the battle data, analyzes it, and prioritizes fire allocation. It also calculates the optimal shooter for each target, based on parameters such as location, line-of-sight, effectiveness, current ammo status etc.
The system includes a fire management terminal application, which provides the commander with a full control of the entire process, including cases of multiple sensor-to-shooter loops in parallel.
Additionally, Fire Weaver is complementary to any C4I system, according to the company.
Last month Rafael announced that Fire Weaver had also been selected as part of a study by the German Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Federal Armed Forces (BAAINBw), for creation of a glass battlefield to support dynamic operations (ErzUntGlas).
“Fire Weaver is a main milestone in the IDF’s battlefield digitization effort. The innovative system essentially creates an ‘operational internet’ and brings to the battlefield the same innovation that the internet brought to the civilian world, the smart home and the smart cities,” Lieutenant Colonel R, Project Leader at DDR&D, said.
“The system enables operational connectivity between joint forces and simplifies integration processes between naval, air and ground forces.”
