Full Breakdown
Elbit-FUSE Unveils AI-Driven Swarm Combat Portfolio
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Elbit Systems’ newly created subsidiary FUSE showcased a suite of autonomous aerial and ground platforms designed for “One2Many” operations. The launch, presented at the company’s Jerusalem facility on December 3, 2024, demonstrated how dozens of drones and robot-style vehicles can be coordinated in real time to conduct defensive or offensive missions. The display included multiple variants of the Firefox drone, FPV models, laser-guided systems, and larger tank-style autonomous vehicles, all packaged for integration with existing maneuver forces.
Context: Global Drone Expansion and Israeli Plans
The unveiling follows a broader surge in mass-produced unmanned systems. Ukraine reported a production rate of 10 million small tactical drones per year in July, with plans to double output. China, the United States and other nations are also scaling drone manufacturing. In parallel, Israel’s IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir announced that by the Chanukah-December period the army will open a dedicated branch for robots, drones and AI-enabled battle forces.
Capabilities and Product Range
FUSE’s portfolio, built under the Dominion-X AI operating system, supports coordinated swarms in GNSS-denied environments, automatic target recognition, and real-time data exchange. Offerings include the Unmanned Tactical Force, Pirani-X tactical swarm drones, Urban Lethality Systems, Armored Wingman Systems, and ground-autonomy kits. The company highlighted ongoing work to extend swarm operations to maritime domains, although deployment timelines remain unspecified.
Operational Scale and Statistics
- Employees: 160 total, 110 at the main facility, ~65 % engineers.
- Flight experience: > 1 million autonomous flight hours and > 100 000 ground-operation hours.
- Deliveries: thousands of aerial platforms and hundreds of ground units worldwide.
- Cost range: some Firefox drones as low as $2 000, others reaching several hundred thousand dollars.
Official Statements & Responses
Elbit officials also stressed that human operators will remain “in the loop” for targeting decisions, with the number of soldiers involved varying by mission complexity and civilian-risk considerations.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Military forces are entering a new operational era in which combat effectiveness will increasingly depend not only on autonomous platforms themselves, but on the ability to integrate and coordinate large numbers of autonomous systems within existing maneuver forces in real time,” — Eyal Dahan, CEO of FUSE
- “FUSE was established to deliver that capability today - combining autonomous platforms, operational AI and scalable One2Many command capabilities into integrated operational solutions that can be rapidly deployed and integrated into modern combat formations.” — Speaking
