• People attend the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The Middle East’s largest defence fair runs until Thursday. All pictures by Victor Besa / The National
    People attend the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The Middle East’s largest defence fair runs until Thursday. All pictures by Victor Besa / The National
  • The Al Seer Marine Unmanned Ground Vehicle. Al Seer Marine is one of the UAE companies exhibiting at Idex
    The Al Seer Marine Unmanned Ground Vehicle. Al Seer Marine is one of the UAE companies exhibiting at Idex
  • The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter
    The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter
  • The Majed 01 speedboat manufactured by Abu Dhabi Ship Building
    The Majed 01 speedboat manufactured by Abu Dhabi Ship Building
  • Advanced weapons sit alongside more typical pieces of military kit at the Exhibition
    Advanced weapons sit alongside more typical pieces of military kit at the Exhibition
  • The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter
    The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter
  • Visitors view the Thunder-4 guided system made by UAE defence firm Halcon
    Visitors view the Thunder-4 guided system made by UAE defence firm Halcon
  • Marine vessel crews wash their boats before the start of the day at Idex
    Marine vessel crews wash their boats before the start of the day at Idex
  • Strict measures are in place to protect public health
    Strict measures are in place to protect public health
  • An engineer sets up the EARTH Automated System manufactured by UAE company NIMR
    An engineer sets up the EARTH Automated System manufactured by UAE company NIMR
  • Visitors at Idex on Monday
    Visitors at Idex on Monday

Idex 2021: The Slovak-built bulletproof robots used for target practice


Kelsey Warner
  • English
  • Arabic

Forget target practice made famous by TV police dramas. Robots are being used for the new generation of live training.

New systems provide a challenging, more realistic target as well as instant feedback to the shooter.

On display at International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday was Slovakia’s Trainshot robotics system, a bulletproof moving platform attached to a smartphone-connected target, so shooters can practise their aim and see immediate scoring on an app.

The small company is at Idex for the first time, marketing its systems to regional militaries and recreational shooting ranges.

Robert Schochmann, chief executive of Trainshot, with the target practice robot at Idex. Victor Besa / The National
Robert Schochmann, chief executive of Trainshot, with the target practice robot at Idex. Victor Besa / The National

Simulating realistic combat environments has been a mainstay of military training for centuries, but technology increasingly provides more realistic scenarios and real-time feedback on soldiers’ performance in the field.

Matthew Cochran, chairman of the Defence Services Marketing Council in the UAE, isn’t surprised this edition of Idex has attracted smaller companies with pluckier solutions, which may be adopted faster as the pandemic accelerates technology integration.

With other major shows, such as the 2021 Paris Air Show, cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns, Idex "has become the de facto place because now there is pent-up demand", he told The National.

“You train hard to fight easy and any new training tools are always welcome,” he said.

Trainshot’s robots weigh 25kg and stand 1.2 metres tall. They cruise on bulletproof foam wheels that can carry the robot up to a kilometre away. The system is connected via Bluetooth and can move at 7.2 kph on a 12-hour battery charge.

The robot can be programmed from the app to move in a set training sequence or at random. The system is meant for live ammunition from .45 and 9mm handguns. The device pairs with a smartphone or tablet and the app helps users improve, with live scoreboards for hobbyists or military units to compete with anyone anywhere.

The company sells its starter target kit for about €250 ($300), which can be mounted on the moving platform, which starts at €10,000, a representative told The National.

Paper targets are designed for hobbyists, recommended for handguns and shorter distances. The company also sells ballistic rubber plates and torsos to make the experience more realistic for military training purposes.

Trainshot is not the only company to develop robots for target practice.

Australian company Marathon Targets, which has offices in Abu Dhabi, created the T40 smart target robot to operate on various types of terrain for live ammunition target practice and has delivered its systems to Nato member countries.

Since 2017, the US Marines have been running a study to test the theory that shooting something that moves unpredictably like a human is more effective for training than a fixed target.

So far the theory has proven true – and Marines’ shooting accuracy vastly improves in a single day of this type of training.

“A Marine went anywhere from a 20-30 per cent hit rate on a moving target to 80-90 per cent,” Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joshua Smith told Military.com late last year.

“Imagine, if I can do reps and sets like that all the time, how I could increase lethality at the individual level.”

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

The Lowdown

Kesari

Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

 

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LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES

Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)

FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm

Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm

Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm

Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm 

Thursday

Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm

Sevilla v Roma  (one leg only)  8.55pm

FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm 

Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm 

'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

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Venom

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

Rating: 1.5/5

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
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The drill

Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.

Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”

Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”

Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.” 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO

Iceland 0 England 1 (Sterling pen 90 1)

Man of the match Kari Arnason (Iceland)

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