Robdozer: Israel Deploys Robotic Bulldozers Against Hamas

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have begun limited deployment of a remotely operated version of the Caterpillar D9 bulldozer in combat operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, The Times of Israel reported.

The robotic version of the heavily armored D9, called Robdozer, is now being used in select military operations.

During a demonstration for journalists, one of the machines cleared a dirt road at a testing site, remotely controlled by an operator based at a defense exhibition in Alabama.

The IDF has long used the D9 bulldozer on the front lines to clear debris and create access routes for advancing units.

Since the start of the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon, the military has increasingly relied on these bulldozers to support field operations.

“During the war in Gaza, the military increasingly preferred the unmanned version, which can perform a full range of tasks even better than a human,” Rani, a developer of the system at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), shared.

An Israeli military official said that elements of the IAI had used robotic systems for over a decade, albeit in limited numbers. These tools are now being deployed at scale, allowing troops to operate machinery without entering hostile areas.

In urban combat in Gaza, D9 bulldozers—comparable in weight to modern tanks at up to 65 tons—have taken on high-risk missions, including clearing rubble and demolishing buildings under fire from Hamas militants.

The military has also used a bulldozer assault tactic known as “Nohal Sir Lachatz,” in which the D9 is driven through and over buildings to neutralize enemy positions while minimizing exposure to small arms fire. Outfitted with reinforced blades and anti-RPG armor grilles, the bulldozers can absorb direct hits from anti-tank weapons.

The D9 has also proven effective in demining operations. Its armor has withstood explosions from improvised devices, including incidents where crews survived blasts from 500-kilogram landmines.

In addition to frontline combat, the bulldozers are used to construct fortifications, assist in engineering tasks in high-risk areas, and recover damaged vehicles under fire.

Earlier this month, Militarnyi reported that the IDF had launched a new operation in the “Morag corridor”—a strategic zone separating Rafah from the rest of the Gaza Strip, near the border with Egypt.