Defense minister praises science fiction-type system that “dramatically changed” Israel’s security.
• ‎”These developments give the IDF its technological ‎and operational advantage and make an entire nation ‎safer. Thanks to you, Israel is a superpower in the ‎field of defense technology.”

By Israel Hayom Staff

The military team responsible for developing the ‎breakthrough technology used to detect and destroy ‎terror tunnels under Israel’s borders was awarded ‎the 2018 Israel Defense Prize on Tuesday.‎

This award is the defense establishment’s highest ‎honor. Created in 1958, it recognizes projects and ‎activities ‎that have made significant operational ‎and technological contributions to national security ‎and the defense of the State of Israel.‎

After its detection, the IDF drills hole into underground Hamas terror-tunnel entering Israel from Gaza in preparation of rendering it useless. – Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

The counter-tunnel technology project is a joint ‎venture by the Administration for the Development of ‎Weapons and Technological Infrastructure at the ‎Defense Ministry, GOC Army Headquarters, Elbit ‎Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, ‎credited with revolutionizing the way Israel is ‎dealing with the threat posed by Hamas’ grid of ‎terror tunnels.‎

Two other teams heading clandestine intelligence ‎‎projects were also awarded the prize, for their ‎‎contribution to thwarting hundreds of terrorist ‎‎attacks and other threats to national security.‎

These teams comprised personnel from Military ‎Intelligence, the Central Command’s Intelligence ‎Unit, the C4I Corps’ Software Development Division, ‎the Administration for the Development of Weapons ‎‎and Technological Infrastructure at the Defense ‎‎Ministry, and Israel Aerospace Industries’ MLM ‎Division, which develops integrated combat systems.‎

President Reuven Rivlin הנשיא ריבלין  – Photo: Israel’s GPO

President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Avigdor ‎‎‎Lieberman, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot ‎‎‎and Director General of the Defense Ministry Maj. ‎‎‎Gen. (res.) Udi Adam, presented the teams with the ‎‎‎awards in a ceremony hosted at the President’s ‎‎‎Residence in Jerusalem.‎

‎”In presenting you with this prize, the defense ‎establishment expresses its strong belief in the ‎superiority of the human factor,” Rivlin said.‎

‎”The systems and teams selected for this year’s ‎prestigious award are living testament to the ‎tremendous changes that have taken place with respect to the ‎security challenges facing Israel. ‎

‎”In recent years, we have been dealing with the ‎various new threats, chief among them the Iranian ‎threat, which is both near and far and requires us ‎to maximize the capabilities. But at the same time, ‎new battlefields are formed – terrorism, cyber, ‎underground warfare and the challenge of managing the ‎daily friction with the Palestinian population,” he continued. ‎

‎”These complex threats, all together and ‎individually, have reshaped the threat map. Faced with these challenges, our ‎excellent defense establishment is quick to learn ‎and adapt. We have updated our combat doctrine, ‎revised our operational objectives, redefined our ‎troops’ deployment and, above all, we have developed ‎excellent systems that allow us to defend ourselves ‎optimally.”‎

Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman – Screenshot from Facebook video

Lieberman lauded the winners for “dramatically ‎changing security realities in Israel. The tunnel ‎detection project is based on cutting-edge ‎technology that is first of its kind in the ‎world, something bordering on science fiction. ‎Thanks to the brilliant minds here we have stripped ‎Hamas of its strategic weapon, in which it invested ‎hundreds of millions of dollars. ‎

‎”The system that has been able to thwart hundreds of ‎terrorist attacks is equally amazing and it is safe ‎to say that many Israelis owe you their lives,” he ‎told the winners. ‎

Adam noted that “Israel’s security needs present the ‎defense establishment as a whole with unique ‎challenges: not only to build a new building but to ‎invent building materials that do not yet exist.‎

‎”These developments give the IDF its technological ‎and operational advantage and make an entire nation ‎safer. Thanks to you, Israel is a superpower in the ‎field of defense technology,” he told the winners, ‎further commending them for “never seeking glory” as ‎‎”you work knowing that your names and achievements ‎will never be made public.”

View original Israel Hayom publication at:
http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/06/27/developers-of-terror-tunnel-detection-system-win-israel-defense-prize/