A Florida based startup has developed a done that can carry and fire military weapons, including rifles and grenade launchers. The TIKAD drone, which was tested on a target in Israel in 2015, is remotely-operated and has been refined to absorb recoil motion from the firing of a weapon. The drone, which has the potential to reduce the number of boots on the ground in conflict situations, has already been ordered by the Israeli military and is being pitched for use by the US military. Duke Robotics co-founder and 20-year Israeli military veteran Lieutenant Colonel Raziel Atuar told Defense One that the drone can carry up to 22 pounds (10 kilograms) and is remotely operated. This means that a person would control the multirotor drone's flight and targeting from a distance.

A US technology firm has developed a drone that is able to aim and fire at enemies while flying in mid-air. The Tikad drone, developed by Duke Robotics, is armed with a machine-gun and a grenade launcher. The gun can be fired only by remote control, and is designed to reduce military casualties by cutting the number of ground troops required. But campaigners warn that in the wrong hands, it will make it easier to kill innocent people. The Tikad drone, available for private sale at an undisclosed price, has won a security innovation award from the US Department of Defense, and there is interest from several military forces around the world, including Israel, reports Defense One.