Tsrifin Military Base: An Israeli military unit on Wednesday showed off a new system to counter chemical attacks. It quickly measures temperature and wind direction to determine areas to evacuate and then feeds hospitals casualty assessments.
The high-tech Lotem unit gave a rare exhibition of the technologies it has developed to protect against rocket attacks — one of Israel's main security fears. The Lebanese group Hezbollah lobbed 4,000 rockets into Israel in 2006, and Hamas has launched thousands from Gaza. None of those rockets contained chemical warheads, but Israel claims neighbouring states have them.
"We need to bring in advanced technology to meet these needs," said Brig. Gen. Ayala Hakim, commander of the Lotem unit that manages the military's computer and communications systems.
Military officials described the new technologies as "next generation" infrastructure, comparing it in sophistication to the rapid innovation of smart phones and other gadgets on the commercial market.
They said one technology, dubbed "Deer Horn," analyses a rocket's trajectory within seconds to estimate where it will land, and activates sirens in the targeted area. It can also override media broadcasts to issue warnings.
An additional system being developed would send cell phone text messages to civilians in the line of fire.
