By Arie Egozi, Autonomy Global – Ambassador for Israel
The newly armed version of Robotican’s ROOSTER autonomous hybrid drone is drawing strong interest from global armed forces as they seek more precise options for urban and subterranean operations. Originally developed as a compact ISR system for complex, GPS‑denied environments, ROOSTER now adds a precision‑guided warhead, transforming it into a loitering munition tailored for indoor missions.
From ISR Platform To Loitering Munition
The baseline ROOSTER was designed by Israeli company Robotican as a hybrid unmanned air/ground vehicle for intelligence gathering inside buildings, tunnels and other confined spaces where conventional drones struggle. Its protective cage, mesh communications and ability to roll or fly allowed forces to map interiors, clear routes and maintain situational awareness before breaching.
With the integration of a precision‑guided warhead, the system transitions from a pure ISR asset to an indoor loitering munition capable of delivering surgical effects in the same challenging environments it once only observed. This evolution aligns with growing demand for tools that fuse high‑fidelity reconnaissance with organic, on‑board strike options in dense urban terrain.
Payload, Warhead And Targeting
The new configuration supports a total payload capacity of up to 300 g, enabling integration of a compact warhead alongside additional mission‑specific sensors or tools. This allows forces to configure ROOSTER for roles ranging from pure ISR to mixed reconnaissance‑and‑strike profiles without changing the underlying platform.
AI‑based object detection and autonomous target tracking and locking underpin the weaponized variant’s strike capability, enabling the drone to identify, track and lock onto specified objects or threats inside confined spaces. A built in multi‑layered safety mechanism manages arming and engagement logic, designed to protect friendly forces throughout transport, deployment, and operation.
Hybrid Mobility For Confined Environments
ROOSTER retains its signature hybrid architecture, seamlessly transitioning between rolling and flying modes to navigate stairwells, corridors, doorway, and cluttered interiors. The protective cages act as both rotor guards and wheels, enabling the drone to roll quietly along floors before lifting off to clear obstacles or reposition for line‑of‑sight targeting.
This mobility, combined with its compact form factor, supports high‑precision engagement inside buildings, tunnels and other confined environments while aiming to minimize collateral damage and exposure of operators. When stationary, ROOSTER can remain in place as a remote observation node, which extends on‑scene endurance and maintaining persistent overwatch ahead of an assault force.
Expanded Mission Set And NATO Credentials
The armed configuration expands ROOSTER’s mission scope beyond ISR, rescue and infrastructure inspection to include threat neutralization in urban warfare, subterranean combat and sensitive hostage rescue scenarios. Despite its added lethality, the system remains lightweight, single‑operator portable and aligned with NATO standards through its official NATO registration.
Robotican’s hybrid platform has already been adopted by Israeli defense entities and several European and U.S. special operations and intervention units, reflecting its growing battlefield pedigree. As urban combat and tunnel warfare continue to shape modern conflict, the armed ROOSTER’s combination of autonomy, precision and confined‑space maneuverability positions it as a notable new option in the loitering‑munition and tactical robotics toolkit.