AhlulBayt News Agency: Israeli company XTEND — whose drones were reportedly used in the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza — has secured a contract worth tens of millions of dollars from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop and supply hundreds of AI-powered attack drones, according to a report by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
The firm announced this week that it had won a multi-million-dollar agreement to produce and deliver artificial intelligence–enabled offensive drone systems.
Israeli media reports indicate that XTEND’s combat experience in various conflict zones, including the occupied Palestinian territories and Ukraine, played a key role in helping the company outperform several U.S. defense contractors competing for the same tender.
One of the Pentagon’s conditions required the drones to be manufactured inside the United States using American labor and non-Chinese components. To comply, XTEND established a production facility in Tampa, Florida, which now produces systems for U.S., Ukrainian, and Israeli use.
According to the Pentagon, the new drone kits — known as modular one-way attack systems, or ACQME-DK — are designed to enhance the ability of small tactical teams to train and operate effectively in complex urban and rural combat environments.
The drones are capable of operating in coordinated swarms controlled by a single operator through AI-driven interfaces. They can also switch between wireless and fiber-optic communication modes to minimize signal interference, and they have an operational range of up to 20 kilometers.
......................
End/ 257
Your Comment