Under the contract terms, Elbit will deliver these systems over the next eight years, guaranteeing a steady and continuous revenue flow for the company.

The company's stock surged on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange by more than 6% following the announcement of the deal, with trading volume exceeding 55 million shekels ($15.5 million). The company currently holds a market value of 76.5 billion shekels ($21.6 billion), and the stock has climbed impressively by more than 60% since the year began.

Elbit operates at a price-to-book ratio of 5.4 and a price-to-earnings ratio of 50 – an elevated multiple that captures the company's substantial order portfolio and anticipates future deals. Investors are factoring in the company's growth potential amid aggressive worldwide defense budget expansions.

The contract adds to a string of major agreements Elbit has secured over the past year, largely driven by the evolving global security landscape and sharp increases in defense spending. In Europe, for instance, numerous countries plan to increase their defense budgets to approximately 5% of GDP, generating substantial business opportunities for leading defense industry firms, such as Elbit Systems.

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The Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Conference (CVPR) found itself at the center of a heated controversy after a prominent researcher took to Twitter to condemn what he described as "baseless political statements" made during one of the talks in its annual conference, during which he noticed that the slide in one of the presentations ran the headline "How has CPR research contributed to tech used in genocide in Palestine."

I was deeply offended by a slide in a recent talk at #CVPR2024 that falsely accused my country of genocide. Such baseless political statements have no place in our scientific community. Let's keep our focus on advancing science and leave politics at the door. @CVPR pic.twitter.com/WucHUoNHcd

— Yizhak Ben-Shabat (Itzik) @CVPR (@sitzikbs) June 18, 2024

The IEEE / CVF Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Conference (CVPR) calls itself "the premier annual computer vision event" and it includes "comprising the main conference and several co-located workshops and short courses.  This year it has been taking place in Seattle, starting on Monday, and it will continue through Friday.

Yizhak Ben-Shabat (Itzik), a well-known figure in the field of computer vision, expressed his outrage in a tweet after seeing the slide and uploading it online. He wrote, "I was deeply offended by a slide in a recent talk at #CVPR2024 that falsely accused my country of genocide. Such baseless political statements have no place in our scientific community. Let's keep our focus on advancing science and leave politics at the door. @CVPR". The slide, apart from supposedly accepting the falsehood that Israel was carrying out genocide in the Gaza Strip, also listed Israeli and international companies as supposedly being embroiled in this made-up claim.

The companies listed on the slide, according to the picture he showed, included Elbit (an Israeli company), with its "weapons and drones"; Amazon through its "cloud compute for military", Palantir, through its "AI targeting for bombing" and Lockheed Martin, through its "missiles and weapons."

Call for separating science and politics

Ben-Shabat's tweet, according to a later tweet on the same thread, was directed at a slide that appeared in a presentation during the conference's Workshop on Responsible Data, which aimed to address issues surrounding the inclusivity and diversity of datasets used in machine learning and artificial intelligence applications.

Thank you. It was presented here: https://t.co/uNGAK8RAn0

— Yizhak Ben-Shabat (Itzik) @CVPR (@sitzikbs) June 18, 2024

The thread prompted a major backlash online, with pro-Israeli users attacking the conference for allowing the slide to appear. There was no information on who presented it and whether it was cleared with the organizers for the event before the workshop. The organizers have yet to respond to the allegations.

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For the first time in decades, the IDF Artillery Corps is now about to upgrade its outdated inventory of SPGs (Self-Propelled Guns) and will begin to phase into service the new Israeli SPG, the Ro'em ("Thundermaker") manufactured by Elbit Systems. Israel Hayom was afforded an initial glimpse of this new weapon system, currently in the final stages of its development, and which is scheduled to become one of the most lethal tools in service with the IDF.

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"This is more than a generation leap it's a multi-generation leap forward," proudly announces IDF Chief Artillery Officer Brig. Gen. Nerry Horovitz, next to the initial prototype of the Ro'em at the Shivta artillery base in the Negev desert.  The IDF's current SPG, known as the Doher (galloper), is essentially the US-made M-109 howitzer developed in the 1960s, some of whose systems have subsequently been upgraded. Naturally, even if they undergo optimal maintenance treatment, the current state of these legacy systems is well past its prime.

For at least twenty years, if not more, the Artillery Corps has been asking to replace these obsolete SPGs, but the plans were repeatedly shelved in favor of allocating these resources to the Israel Air Force and for other urgent needs. The war in Ukraine, in which artillery has proven to be the most dominant factor on the battlefield, has provided an unexpected source of support for the decision to upgrade the IDF's fleet of howitzers.

In contrast to the Doher, which is mounted on a caterpillar track giving it a tank-like appearance, the Ro'em uses the chassis of a giant Oshkosh truck with 10X10 drive, giving it a rather intimidating appearance. The use of a wheel-driven rather than a track-driven system enables rapid mobility between combat fronts, obviating the need for tank transporters, while both simplifying the vehicle's maintenance and rendering it far less expensive.

Each individual Ro'em is capable of generating a volume of firepower almost equivalent to that of an entire battery of Doher SPGs. To illustrate this comparison, the real fire fate of a Doher has remained stable at two shells per minute, while the Ro'em is capable of firing eight shells per minute. This fire rate, which only a limited number of howitzers in the world are capable of producing, is attained thanks to the completely automatic and computerized loading system. The familiar image of the sweating, fatigued loader, breaking his back to bend down and lift shells weighing dozens of kilos, is soon to become a thing of the past.

Will women be able to serve in the Ro'em?

This fact might open up the combat positions in the Ro'em for women too, as in the past the heavy weight of the shells was the main barrier preventing their integration within the IDF's current SPGs. "Today, women are integrated in all the Artillery Corps units – including in the SPG battery command vehicles, even if they do not serve in the Doher SPGs themselves, stresses Brig. Gen. Horovitz, and duly adds: "As far as I am concerned, there is no reason to prevent women from serving as combat soldiers in the new Ro'em systems."

In practice, the Ro'em's practical fire rate can reach up to several shells per second, in a focused volley. This exceptional capability is attained by the integration of cutting-edge technology known as MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact) in the vehicle's fire computer.

Video: A visit to an IDF artillery base / Yaniv Zohar

Without blinding you with the minute technical details, in essence, the Ro'em alters the barrel angle and the size of the propellant charge that propels the projectiles, causing them to reach the target and hit it simultaneously. This is a significant capability as the first shell, which hits the target before the enemy has had the chance to take cover, has the greatest lethal potential.  A battery of Ro'em SPGs would be able to fire a burst of dozens of shells with precision timing of a single second at a surprised and exposed enemy.

If that isn't sufficient, then the Ro'em's range is almost double that of the IDF's current SPGs, reaching targets at a distance of 40 km. In contrast, the Ro'em is much more economical as it requires a considerably smaller crew of three (male or female) soldiers alone, compared with the seven-man crew needed to operate the Doher.

In addition, the Ro'em is a vehicle that enjoys absolute independence in the field. It is not dependent on a separate fire computer, which is currently located in the battery command vehicle but is equipped with its own computer. "This particular feature affords us maximum flexibility and enables us to operate the Ro'em SPGs in any combat formation we wish, starting with the single howitzer," remarks Horovitz.

Our visit to Shivta took place in parallel to an event organized by the Be'ikvot Lohamim ("in the footsteps of warriors") project – a one-day event organized by the IDF Ground Forces Command for high school students with a view to their upcoming military service, providing the various branches of the military with an opportunity to showcase their weapon systems and capabilities. "With all due respect to technology, the Artillery Corps' main weapon has been and always will be our amazing soldiers," proudly claims Brig. Gen. Horovitz.

Video: The Ro'em SPG in action / Elbit

"In fact, for some time now we have been much more than a corps of artillery guns, so our name is slightly misleading. Our corps is a technology-intensive entity composed of a variety of units such as the drone units, the rocket units, and the PGM (precision-guided munitions) units, which together provide the IDF with the spearhead of its land-based firepower. The soldiers, both male and female, who operate these systems, along with the SPG units, are required to excel in the field of technological literacy, and thankfully they are doing a great job."

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Israeli defense company Elbit Systems and Tel Aviv-based robotics start-up Roboteam launched on Tuesday an "Unmanned Ground Vehicle" that features a built-in autonomy suite offering a combination of greater capacity and improved maneuverability.

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The ROOK UGV, a multi-payload military 6X6, was developed based on the operational experience accumulated from fielding the 4x4 PROBOT UGV systems in several countries including the US, France, Israel and the UK.

The ROOK also has no need for qualified technicians or OEM (original equipment manufacturer) lab maintenance.

The vehicle is fully autonomous and capable of efficiently navigating rough terrain in both day and night to deliver supplies, evacuate casualties, perform intelligence gathering missions (including by dispatching on-board VTOLs – vertical take-off and landing aircraft), and operate as a remote weapon system.

Introducing ROOK! A new multi-payload 6X6 Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV): Autonomous Follow-me/Go-to Mode, ISR capabilities, remotely operated weapon station, #Medevac and more https://t.co/kefr2STRwB @Roboteam_Inc pic.twitter.com/h6mAsVitQE

— Elbit Systems (@ElbitSystemsLtd) November 16, 2021

It has sophisticated sensors that can distinguish soldiers and follow them in the field despite obstacles or terrain changes.

ROOK is capable of carrying up to 1,200kg (2,645 pounds) of payload while maintaining superior maneuverability and transferability.

Yoav Poizner, Elbit's head of business development, said the ROOK is the next step to enable "everything that happens in the sky" using drones and aerial robots to occur on the ground as well.

"If you want to send robots where you don't want to send soldiers, you need a solution for that," said Elad Levy, CEO and founder of Roboteam.

"It has built-in autonomy and built-in artificial intelligence that provides a full solution," the Levy said. "Without that level of sophistication, you would not want to rely on it in the field."

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Israeli defense company Elbit Systems announced Tuesday that its subsidiary, Elbit Systems UK, was awarded a contract valued at approximately $100 million by Babcock International Group to provide the Royal Navy with new electronic warfare capabilities.

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The contract will be performed over a period of 13 years and will include in-service support.

Under the contract, Elbit Systems UK will design, manufacture and deliver maritime Electronic Warfare suites comprised of fully digital full-spectrum Radar Electronic Support Measures and EW Command and Control systems.

These latest-generation technologies will enhance the situational awareness and anti-ship missile defense of front-line platforms and improve their capability to exploit the electromagnetic environment.

"We are proud to be in a position to provide such an important capability to the Royal Navy," said Elbit Systems UK CEO Martin Fausset. "Elbit Systems UK will work with its local partners on developing and delivering these cutting edge technologies, creating high-skilled jobs while providing operational sovereignty and freedom of action."

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Elbit Systems of America, a subsidiary of Israel-based international defense electronics company Elbit Systems, has teamed with Textron Systems to produce a solution that provides the United States Marine Corps with transformational capabilities, including enhanced situational understanding technologies.

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The move comes amid efforts by the US Marine Corps Systems Command to replace the legacy Light Armored Vehicle with a modern, robust Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle.

The USMC identified characteristics their new ARV must include as the core-manned next-generation system for light armored reconnaissance battalions, and Elbit Systems of America, Textron Systems and others partnered to create the Cottonmouth prototype ARV.

"Elbit Systems of America is excited to be teamed with Textron Systems as a key partner for building the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle for the United States Marine Corps," said Ridge Sower, Vice President of Ground Combat and Precision Targeting at Elbit Systems of America. "Our ARV concept will provide a key and critical capability to the USMC and include advanced technologies that will make it relevant both today and for decades to come. Our 360-degree multi-domain situational awareness suite will provide significant increases in the lethality and survivability of Marines."

Elbit Systems of America's 360-degree Situational Awareness vision suite for the Cottonmouth prototype ARV will bring together video images from outside the ARV, overlay terrain and obstacle information, along with navigation and battlespace symbology, and present a single image of the ARV's surroundings to all crew members within the vehicle.

This comprehensive and intuitive view of their surroundings will be available both on crew workstations and a helmet-mounted display, empowering the crew with unparalleled situational understanding while under armor.

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The Australian government has informed Israeli defense company Elbit that its military will stop using its Battle Management System from mid-June.

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First reported by Australian Defense Magazine, Elbit Australia learned of the decision without receiving any explanation.

According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, tensions between Elbit and the Australian Department of Defense had been simmering over the Israeli company imposing "huge premiums" on the BMS because it has a monopoly on the system.

"People are getting [fed up] with Elbit exploiting their monopoly to impose huge premiums," one unnamed Australian officer told the ABC.

"And there are definite concerns that the Israelis are backdooring the system for information," he added.

The BMS provided by Elbit enables commanders to better communicate and coordinate during complex battlefield scenarios and operations with electronic displays of maps and other data.

Elbit's BMS technology allows army commanders to better coordinate various land assets during complex battlefield scenarios, where previously they had to rely on "analogue" methods such as maps and radios.

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The project first began in 2009 and was fully operational by 2015.

A statement by Elbit Systems of Australia said the company "strongly refutes the security rumours raised in recent media articles.

"Elbit Systems of Australia utilizes secure software development processes in collaboration with the Department of Defence, including the provision of all source code.

Elbit Systems of Australia will continue to work closely with the Australian Defence Force to deliver its network capability requirements, utilizing our 250-strong workforce, including 80 military veterans and 100 systems and software engineers.

"Elbit Systems of Australia is expanding and enhancing our proven ability to bring world-leading innovative technologies to meet Australian capability requirements for the Australian Defence Force, homeland security and emergency management agencies into the future," the statement concluded.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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The Azerbaijani military is set to kick off a large military operation, Monday, with the participation of various forces and an emphasis on the many Israeli weapons in Baku's possession.

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The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry will oversee the exercise, which will include 10,000 troops, around 100 tanks and armored vehicles, around 200 missiles and artillery shells, various missile systems, rockets, fighter jets, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

A senior Azerbaijani Defense Ministry official told Israel Hayom troops would be using the Plasan Sand Cat, Tamuz model Spike anti-tank missiles, Israel Aerospace Industries' semi-active laser homing guided low-weight anti-tank guided Lahat missile, as well as Elbit's 120 mm SPEAR mortar system, among others.

The senior Azerbaijani official added the military would use Israeli UAVs, including the state-of-the-art IAI Heron and IAI Harop drones and Elbit's Hermes drone in the exercise, which is set to conclude Thursday.

While the Azerbaijanis defeated the Armenians in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, they are looking to improve their abilities.

The exercise will be held in a mountainous and wooded region and will examine rapid organization for combat and coordination between various military units, in particular.

According to Aryeh Gut, an expert on Israel-Azerbaijan ties and the executive director of the Azerbaijan House in Israel "The Armenians can be jealous, carry out provocations, and disseminate baseless information, but it's now historical fact that Israeli security firms actively cooperated and continue to cooperate on the construction of the Azerbaijani military system."

He said, "Israel was really genuinely happy about the victory of an important geostrategic and geopolitical partner in the South Caucus."

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Protesters have blocked the entrance of an Israeli-owned factory in England where they claim deadly weapons are made.

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Activists from Palestine Action and Extinction Rebellion chained the gates of the Elbit Ferranti factory in Greater Manchester early Monday. Two protesters climbed onto a ledge in front of the building, daubing red paint over the windows and spraying the words "Shut Elbit Down."

The two groups said their joint action was meant to show Elbit, Israel's largest defense firm, that they will "continue to take direct action until we shut Elbit down and end all complicity in systematic injustice."

Greater Manchester Police said officers were sent to the scene. Elbit Systems UK, which has 10 sites across the UK, declined to comment.

Elbit recently won a contract with Britain's Ministry of Defense to provide technology enabling frontline soldiers to detect and engage enemy targets in seconds.

The company employs over 500 people in the UK in high-tech and specialist manufacturing, and it also supplies a fleet of 38 aircraft to the UK military flying training school.

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GoFundMe has stopped Palestine Action, a pro-BDS group, from withdrawing further funds via its fundraising platform.

UK Lawyers for Israel, a legal watchdog group, said it contacted GoFundMe and notified the platform that it could be held liable as accessories to criminal activity if it permits Palestine Action to raise money via its site.

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According to its GoFundMe page, Palestine Action is seeking to raise 10,000 (around $12,900) pounds to "support direct action against Israeli apartheid."

Palestine Action's fundraising page stated, "Donations will be used to pay for costs associated with running our campaigns." Such campaigns consist of criminal actions seeking to disrupt businesses of which they disapprove.

They explain that "activists have taken direct action 15 times against arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, with a view to shutting them down. Palestine Action has targeted sites in London, Oldham and on 14 September staged a dramatic 3-day occupation of Elbit's Shenstone site, culminating in the arrest of 5 activists."

"This action clearly constitutes aggravated trespass: see the decision of the UK Supreme Court in Richardson v DPP [2014] UKSC 8," UKLFI said in a statement. "Their actions also include criminal damage. They boast in a video on their Facebook page that they will throw paint on them, smash their batteries, go there, continue to cause damage until Elbit Systems f*** off and leave this country."

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The Palestine Action fundraising page on GoFundMe now contains a message warning donors that GoFundMe has currently stopped withdrawals from their fundraiser. They say, "If you want to donate, do not do it here as we will not receive the funds."

"Palestine Action carries out blatantly criminal actions to promote their aims, which they seek to justify on the basis of utterly false allegations," said Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UK Lawyers for Israel. "We are pleased that GoFundMe has now disabled Palestine Action's fundraising on their site."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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