Nov 17, 2006, 14:29 GMT
Tel Aviv - Israel is using nano-technology to create a miniature Remote Pilot-less Vehicle (RPV) the size of a wasp, which would be able to track militants and photograph objects, an Israeli daily reported Friday.
The tiny RPV, dubbed the 'bionic hornet,' could even be able to launch miniature rockets at its targets, Yediot Ahronot said.
It would be able to fly through narrow alleys in crowded Palestinian cities without drawing attention.
The hornet is part of a project initiated by Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who has selected a series of Israeli security, high-tech and academic experts and set them up in an office to develop state-of-the-art devices based on nano-techonology, which uses parts the size of one-millionth of a millimetre.
The experts are also working on other ideas, including miniature sensors which can be distributed in public places and detect suicide bombers according to the scent of explosive material, heat or weight.
Peres has received a green light for the project from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and is recruiting hundreds of millions of dollars for it from international investors, Yediot said.
'The war in Lebanon has proven that we need small weapons,' Peres told the daily. 'The future lies here (in this field).'
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