Black Box Engineers Reveal Grim Details of Combat Analysis
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Engineers from Israel's Ministry of Defense MANTAK unit are analyzing "black box" data from damaged tanks and APCs to reconstruct combat events and aid in hostage identification. Teams risked their lives under fire to retrieve data, which has led to technological developments like the "Pergola" shield against drones. The analysis provides crucial information for families of fallen soldiers and is used in international legal contexts. The work carries a significant emotional toll on the engineers.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- MANTAK engineers analyze "black box" data from damaged Israeli military vehicles to reconstruct combat events.
- Teams retrieved data under fire, providing crucial information on hostages and countering narratives of abandonment.
- Analysis led to technological developments, including the "Pergola" shield against Hamas attack drones.
- AI software creates combat simulations, offering vital details to families of fallen soldiers.
- The engineers' findings are used in international legal proceedings and to improve military protection.
A specialized unit within Israel's Ministry of Defense, known as MANTAK (The Directorate of Armored Vehicles), is revealing its critical role in analyzing combat data from damaged tanks and armored personnel carriers since the October 7th attacks. These engineers, who possess skills that could earn them lucrative salaries in the private sector, have chosen to work on "black boxes" recovered from vehicles hit in battle. Their work involves extracting and analyzing audio, video, and telemetry data to reconstruct events, identify potential hostages, and understand the circumstances of engagements.
In the immediate aftermath of October 7th, teams from MANTAK, including software and cyber officers, risked their lives under fire in Gaza border areas to physically access damaged vehicles. Equipped with protective gear and weapons, they retrieved crucial data from the battlefield. This information provided vital clues about missing persons and hostages, and also countered narratives of abandonment by proving the intense fighting that occurred within the vehicles.
Following the initial intense fighting, a dedicated task force was established to formalize the analysis process. This involves two types of teams: one focused on extracting raw data like navigation and recordings, and another on physical ballistic analysis to determine impact angles and munition types. These analyses have led to immediate technological developments, such as the "Pergola" shield developed to counter Hamas's attack drones, significantly reducing the threat to armored vehicles.
MANTAK engineers have developed advanced AI-based software to consolidate audio, video, and telemetry data into a unified combat simulation. Initially processing around 40 "black boxes" daily, the software now creates a comprehensive timeline of battle scenarios. This technological analysis holds profound significance for the families of fallen soldiers, providing them with crucial missing pieces of information about their loved ones' final moments.
The emotional toll on the engineers is considerable, as they often hear the final communications of soldiers, sometimes with no response or only static. Despite efforts to shield them from recognizing names, personal connections can lead to difficult situations, such as when a team leader had to be removed from analyzing data from a vehicle carrying a relative.
The findings from MANTAK are also instrumental in international and legal arenas, providing unequivocal evidence for sensitive investigations and helping to formulate official IDF positions against de-legitimization efforts. The unit's meticulous analysis was also crucial in understanding the causes of severe incidents, like the Namer APC disaster that claimed the lives of 11 soldiers, driving improvements in vehicle protection.