The Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) has announced the acquisition of ‘Fire Weaver’ – a networked sensor-to-shooter system. The game-changing system will serve the IDF’s ground forces divisions, and become operational in the coming year.
Fire Weaver was developed jointly by the IDF’s ground forces, DDR&D (The IMOD’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 enables closing rapid, precise, effective and secure sensor-to-shooter loops. As a result, Fire Weaver considerably maximizes the operational performance and decreases the battle duration.
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 accurately and are augmented on the system sights, based on 3D models using RAFAEL’s 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, Fire Weaver utilizes RAFAEL’s advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, processes the battle data, analyzes it, and prioritizes fire allocation. Fire Weaver calculates the optimal shooter for each target, based on parameters such as location, line-of-sight, effectiveness, current ammo status etc., while minimizing collateral damage and fratricide, taking into consideration the rules of engagement in real time.
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.
Fire Weaver is complementary to any C4I system. While ordinary C4I systems are designed for HQs and the commander level, Fire Weaver provides the fighters with real-time accurate battle information, displayed directly on their weapon sights, and prevents mistakes. Furthermore, FIRE WEAVER is fully compliant with the MIL STD 882 safety standard.
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).
Lieutenant Colonel R, Project Leader at DDR&D, said: “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. FIRE WEAVER enables operational connectivity between Joint forces and simplifies integration processes between naval, air and ground forces”.
Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Shmuel Olanski, head of RAFAEL’s Land Innovation Center, said: “FIRE WEAVER is a significant force-multiplier, and it joins RAFAEL’s vast portfolio of ground-braking systems, integrating top notch technologies. In line with RAFAEL’s vision of connecting the capabilities, FIRE WEAVER will help the IDF in its efforts to prepare for the challenges of the multidimensional battlefield.”
