Security drones have been used mainly for surveillance. The offensive drones are more like unmanned fighter aircraft which can only do damage from several hundred feet above the ground. TIKAD is one of its kind. It’s the first offensive multi-rotor drone which operates autonomously. TIKAD can also be referred to as the flying soldier drone as it has a semi-automatic gun mounted on it.
TIKAD is created by a Florida based company called Duke Robotics. They describe this drone as the “Future Soldier”. It weighs 110 pounds (50 kg) and can fly at altitudes from 30-1,500 feet. The TIKAD also sports a 40 mm grenade launcher, in addition to its semi-automatic gun. This UAV, meant for military deployment, is all set to replace human troops in some of the most dangerous battle zones in the world.
“As a former Special Mission Unit commander, I have been in the battlefield for many years, and more than once I hoped that a different solution other than sending in the troops existed,” CEO Raziel Atuar explained. “At Duke Robotics, we wanted to create something that would be a game changer in future battles, [and] that could save lives of troops, as well as uninvolved civilians, in the combat zone.”
With growing guerilla warfare, the requirement of a drone which can shoot at targets from air comes into play. The drone is capable of identifying targets and shooting at them with utmost precision. Apart from its high level of accuracy it also has a proprietary robotic stabilization system that enables it to absorb the recoil of its mounted gun as it’s fired. (This stabilization platform can also be used as a standalone unit for snipers on the ground.)
The TIKAD could save uncountable lives of soldiers who are martyred in battle zones. This drone might reduce human involvement in the frontlines and soon enough there could be swarms and troops of flying soldier drones which would make our future resemble that of the fictional concept of ‘The Terminator’.
Have a look at the TIKAD in action:
