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A high-speed, stealthy and futuristic shaped boat appeared through the twilight, as if taken out of a science fiction scene. It sliced the water quickly and gracefully, closing-in on the target vessel with extreme agility. A gun barrel at the bow, kept its aim steady on the same point of the target vessel, in spite of the boat's movement through the water and the swell of the sea, as if it was firmly connected with invisible wire. A close look would reveal a somewhat surrealistic picture, as no personnel is seen onboard the fast maneuvering boat. Where is the crew that operates this highly-capable patrol boat?
No, it's not science fiction. It is Rafael's 'Protector', an unmanned integrated naval combat system, based on unmanned surface vehicles (USV). Highly autonomous and remotely controlled, Protector is able to conduct a wide spectrum of critical missions, while eliminating unnecessary risk to personnel and capital assets.
Recently, USV have come to center stage, gaining recognition in their potential to effectively carry out a wide variety of missions. In a sense, USV's are following the footsteps of their mature relatives – UAV's, which have proved successful after more than two decades of operation, and have paved the way to wide recognition of the advantages of unmanned vehicles in general. A USV system is transformational in nature; able to carry out diverse missions using its SPEAR** (Stealthy, Penetrating, Enduring, Asymmetric, and Risk-free) characteristics. It provides high operational effectiveness in a wide variety of defense missions, including Anti-terror/Force Protection, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), ASuW (Anti-Surface Warfare), ASW (Anti Submarine Warfare) and Mine Warfare. Moreover, it is highly suitable for homeland security missions related to the maritime domain, including security and anti-terror along coastal areas, in ports, and critical strategic infrastructures.
RAFAEL Ltd., a world leader in advanced weapon systems, has developed a USV based weapon system – the Protector. The Protector's design and implementation is based on the company's extensive experience and know-how in defense technology, as well as its in-depth understanding of the naval arena. Recently the Protector USV has successfully passed extensive trials which validated the maturity of the system, positioning it as a leading operational USV worldwide.
http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/naval/protector/Protector.html
(more pictures and videos of Protector)