Ben (Reuven) Hayun is a leader in the field of tactical drones at Elbit’s Land and IMI division, a relatively new field at the company that has been attracting international attention. “In the last two years, especially since the war in Ukraine began, the development of applications in this field has accelerated,” says Ben. “The nature of armed combat is constantly changing and requires mapping, target identification in real time and even directing attacks by forces out in the field. The drones enable routes to be cleared, observation and reconnaissance beyond a wall or hill. Additionally, another level is emerging: artificial intelligence.”
My story
Ben began working at Elbit in 2011 while still studying electrical engineering, joining the testing and customer demonstration team. After that, he moved to system engineering and product development of weapon systems for maneuvering platforms, Eng. department (such as tanks, self-propelling artillery, etc.). “These days, as a technical manager, I lead projects in both manned and unmanned systems, the study and integration of AI and advanced algorithms into combat systems and develop remote control systems. All these fields are connected,” he says. “The systems use AI in collecting and processing data. We have a specialized lab to investigate what other insights and abilities we can achieve with AI, and constantly work to pursue the development in line with the needs of the client and the emerging battlefield.”
Ben reached the world of tactical drones out of a lifelong love for flying – from childhood, Ben has been flying model airplanes, and even participated in an “air cadet corps”, the aviation branch of a youth battalion. Nowadays, he tries to engage his children, ages 9, 6 and 4, in these hobbies.
Ben grew up in Netanya, and has known his wife Einav, an architectural engineer, since they were children, as they went to the same school together. After his discharge, they met again through mutual friends, and have been together ever since.
The Hayun family adores animals. Until recently, they had two dogs and two cats, but due to natural circumstances, they are down to one of each. “Animals are a part of us. We adopted our first dog when we moved in together, and he was even with us at our wedding. Our children grew up with them. It’s incredibly hard to say goodbye.”
