Dick Tracy Tech for UAVs: The V-RAMBO

Tadiran Spectralink Ltd. of Cholon, Israel, who make the communications systems for the battle-proven Pioneer UAV, have developed a new way for the soldier in the field to receive UAV pictures and data: the wrist-mounted Video Receiver And Monitor for Battlefield Operations (V-RAMBO), also known as a Personal Video Receiver. The system is a miniaturized version of the TVL-II system in Israeli attack helicopters and tanks. The 3-inch color video display attaches to the soldier’s wrist via an adjustable velcro strap, and the video receiver unit can be mounted on the soldier’s vest. Like the TVL-II, V-RAMBO broadcasts real-time video from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) directly to the wrists of individual Israeli Army infantry soldiers on the ground. TVL-II has been credited with helping to reduce the time it takes to identify and strike a target from minutes to seconds, an important consideration in urban environments and situations involving the targeting of terrorist leaders.