Israel developing anti-militant "bionic
hornet"
Fri Nov 17, 3:24 AM ET
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -
Israel is using nanotechnology to try to create a robot no bigger
than a hornet that would be able to chase, photograph and kill its
targets, an Israeli newspaper reported on Friday.
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The flying robot, nicknamed the "bionic hornet," would be able to
navigate its way down narrow alleyways to target otherwise
unreachable enemies such as rocket launchers, the daily Yedioth
Ahronoth said.
It is one of several weapons being developed by scientists to
combat militants, it said. Others include super gloves that would
give the user the strength of a "bionic man" and miniature sensors
to detect suicide bombers.
The research integrates nanotechnology into Israel's security
department and will find creative solutions to problems the army
has been unable to address, Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres told
Yedioth Ahronoth.
"The war in Lebanon proved that we need smaller weaponry. It's
illogical to send a plane worth $100 million against a suicidal
terrorist. So we are building futuristic weapons," Peres
said.
The 34-day war in Lebanon ended with a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in
mid-August. The war killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly
civilians, and 157 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
Prototypes for the new weapons are expected within three years, he
said.
