Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station

12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun mounted on Katlanit RCWS
12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun mounted on Katlanit RCWS

The Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS), also known as Katlanit (קטלנית in Hebrew: "lethal", female inflection) is a Remote Weapon System that enables a variety of devices to be operated automatically or by remote control, including 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, and 12.7 mm machine guns, 40 mm automatic grenade launchers, anti-tank missiles and observation pods.[1] There are a total of three variants of the Samson family:

For example, the Samson Remote Controlled Weapon System for 30 mm Cannon is designed to be mounted on lightly-armoured, high-mobility military vehicles and operated by a gunner or vehicle commander operating under-the-deck. It offers optional SPIKE guided missile, smoke grenade launcher, and embedded trainer. The RCWS 30 is a product of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.[2]

Israel has also installed a variant of the Samson RCWS in pillboxes along the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier intended to prevent Palestinian militants from entering its territory.[3] The Sentry Tech system, dubbed Roeh-Yoreh (Sees-Fires) in IDF service, enables camera operators located in a rear-located intelligence base to engage border threats. Dozens of alleged terrorists have been shot with the Sentry Tech system. The first reported killing of an individual appears to have taken place during Operation Cast Lead in December 2008.[4]

Operators

Map of Samson operators in blue

Current operators

References

  1. Rafael Armament Development Authority
  2. RAFAEL marketing PDF for RCWS 30
  3. "Weaponized Sentry-Tech Towers Protecting Hot Borders". Aviation Week. Archived from the original on April 29, 2011.
  4. "Lethal Robotic Technologies: The Implications for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law" Philip Alston, Journal of Law, Information and Science, 2012
  5. Samson RWS on Colombian LAV III – Armyrecognition.com, December 29, 2012
  6. "Czech APCs to Carry RAFAEL's RCWS-30". Defense Industry Daily. 2006-02-07. Retrieved 7 September 2011.


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