The first test flight of a new AI-powered, anti-fire VTOL & APUS 25 drone was launched on Wednesday, amid growing extreme heat and fire concerns.
The drone was launched by a joint project of five organizations: the National Security Ministry, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Technion, Israel Innovation Authority, and the Fire and Rescue Authority.
With a series of trials to follow, the test flight was designed to evaluate the system's capabilities in various operational scenarios and changing field conditions.
The project will enable the real-time detection and pinpointing of fire outbreaks, both at day and at night, using advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence, while transmitting alerts to the Fire and Rescue Authority’s command center.
This comes as Israel Meteorological Service forecast a record high heatwave and strong, dry winds for this weekend, peaking at 47°C in the Galilee region and posing a high risk for wildfires.
The recent increase in extreme weather and global warming has led to a significant rise in the scale and intensity of forest fires. Rapidly spreading fires endanger human life, communities, infrastructure, and open areas, presenting a growing challenge for emergency response agencies who strive to detect fire outbreaks early on.
According to the IAI, the core challenge lies in sustaining an up-to-date operational picture in real time and reacting swiftly as a fire spreads, especially across vast, remote, or hard-to-access terrain.
Agencies collaborate on real-time fire identification, location
In response to the crisis, the National Security Ministry, the Israel Innovation Authority, IAI, Technion, and the Fire and Rescue Authority collaborated on devising a solution for identifying and locating fires in real time, within minutes of its ignition.
As part of the project, a dedicated system was developed and installed on IAI’s APUS 25 platform, an advanced tactical drone with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability.
The VTOL capability enables operation from any terrain without the need for a dedicated runway, supports high-altitude flight, and maintains exceptionally long endurance.
The scanning technology features day and night vision imaging with infrared capabilities that detect fire sources, even in darkness, and is also able to penetrate thick smoke.
The system leverages spectral algorithms for image analysis, AI for real-time data analysis, anomaly detection, locating of fire source, and extraction of the fire’s precise location, even from high altitudes. Alongside advanced scanning, the drone transmits immediate alerts to the Fire and Rescue Authority’s command center.
Even with the drone’s advanced technology capabilities, the drone’s weight or mission requirement does not compromise its endurance or range.
Integrating the VTOL technology with a APUS 25 platform, the system contains an internal combustion engine with no electric motors or batteries, preserving its flight endurance. Prior to launch, the drone will be operated by a firefighter, who will define the scanning area by marking a polygon on the map.
After takeoff, the drone operates autonomously, positions itself at the optimal scanning point and then conducts a continuous scan of the area for four to five hours. The scan generates a real-time operational picture for emergency forces on the ground, facilitating decision-making, incident management, and efficient and precise employment of forces.
Drones, AI, data processing key tools for future fire detection
"This project represents a further step in advancing sophisticated technological capabilities for security and emergency response agencies,” said Yaron Shein, Head of Technological R&D, Office of the Chief Scientist at the National Security Ministry.
“Combining drones, artificial intelligence, and advanced data-processing capabilities may in the future enable earlier fire detection, an improved operational picture, and shorter response times in the field.
"The collaboration between all the bodies involved reflects the importance we place on connecting operational need with Israeli innovation, in order to develop solutions that will help protect human life, property, and the natural resources of the State of Israel,” Shein added.
“We are working to advance innovative technologies that will enable early detection, advanced control, and rapid response to large-scale fire incidents. This historic collaboration with the Israel Innovation Authority, IAI, and the Technion aims to drive the development of advanced operational capabilities and will significantly improve our operational control and monitoring capabilities; it will also help to contain the spread of fires already in their earliest stages,” said Maj.-Gen. Eyal Caspi, commissioner of the Fire and Rescue Authority.
"This is a first strategic step in building an innovative, smart, and advanced firefighting system that will, in the future, strengthen the protection of human life, communities, and the natural resources of the State of Israel,” he said.