The Robot Tank That's Taking on ISIS in Iraq's Battle for Mosul

The ongoing battle for Mosul, one of the largest cities in Iraq, has involved thousands of government-backed troops and allied fighters steadily advancing on the last urban stronghold of the terror group ISIS. In addition to elite Iraqi counter-terrorism troops, battle-hardened Kurdish peshmerga fighters and U.S. air support, ISIS fighters are facing a unique foe in the form of a remotely controlled combat vehicle developed by two brothers in Baghdad. Dubbed "al-robot," the device is a four-wheeled armored vehicle, considerably smaller than a Humvee or tank, with a 12.7mm cannon and side-mounted 70mm rockets. The main gun is equipped with a thermal-imaging camera that allows the device to be used at night. It is being used in the field during the battle for Mosul by the Iraqi Army's Popular Mobilization Unit, which reported its first use on Tuesday. In a statement to Vice News affiliate Motherboard, the PMU said the robot would be used for three primary missions: "Nighttime hunter missions, daytime combat missions and all-day support role for any troops requiring it."