Unmanned M-113s in Israeli Operations in Gaza 30/05/2024 | Tommaso Massa

The IDF are using remotely controlled M-113 APCs in Gaza operations. After a number of videos published in February and showing a 'remotely controlled' M-113, further confirmation of the deployment of such vehicles in Jabaliya and Rafah has come in recent days. According to sources close to the IDF, the remotely operated M-113s are mainly used for logistical tasks, but they have also been used as Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) suicide vehicles, a tactic already seen in the past with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and also during the War in Ukraine. Moreover, some of these vehicles are equipped with Remote Weapon Stations (RWS), probably armed with a 12.7mm machine gun, while it would not be equipped with remotely controlled anti-tank weapons. In the case of Rafah, a remotely controlled M-113 was geolocated north of al-Imam Ali street, along the Philadelphia corridor, at the point of maximum Israeli advance along the border (about 9km from the Kerem Shalom crossing), an indication that the vehicles in question are probably being used to penetrate deep into dangerous areas not yet controlled by the IDF. The remotisation of legacy platforms, which are no longer suitable for ensuring the safety of personnel in modern battlefields, may be an excellent expedient to achieve the critical mass necessary to deal with current operational scenarios.


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