A humanoid robot start-up company backed by Eric Trump wants to team up with the IDF to deploy killer humanoid robots into Gaza for combat operations. Per The Financial Times, Foundation Future Industries co-founder and president Mike LeBlanc is in conversations with Israel about sending their “Phantom” robots to patrol tunnels under Gaza that he alleges are used by Hamas.
Per the report, these robots would be armed and able to “potentially engage in combat,” though it’s unclear precisely what kind of weaponry the robots would be equipped with. In a July 2026 report in WIRED, company chief executive Sankaet Patha teased “kinetic things”, which the article confirmed were weapons.
Reuters reports that Foundation Future Industries is backed by Eric Trump, who has reportedly been a major investor since the start of 2026 and sits as the company’s chief strategy advisor. However, the company also underlines that he has no role in day-to-day management or in arranging government contracts.
“What is stopping them from just doing this somewhere else”
Per The Financial Times, LeBlanc discussed a potential supply of up to 1,000 Phantom MK1 humanoids to Israel, with each robot costing around $150,000. The armored and agile robot was billed as protecting IDF soldiers from having to neutralize booby traps, detect tripwires much more efficiently than a human, and, if it encounters conflict, eliminate whoever is opposing it.
The company bills them as having been “designed for strength and fluid motion, Phantom eliminates the “robotic” feel, enabling seamless integration into human environments.” They also emphasize that their robots are lethal: “Unlike most humanoid companies in the U.S. that have committed to non-weaponization, our robots are designed to function in these environments. We believe it’s essential they master these tasks to support human expansion.”
The reaction to this news is, predictably, that this all feels extremely dystopian, with a common reaction that these are real-life Terminators (“Straight up Terminator vibes in 2026.” One said, “Hollywood called. They want their science fiction back.” Another,”This is Pandora’s box. If they get away with this and are successful, then what is stopping them from just doing this somewhere else with an even greater intensity?”
It should be noted that the IDF has not officially made a deal with Foundation Future Industries and discussions remain ongoing. In addition, the legality of autonomous killer robots, formally known as lethal autonomous weapons systems, in combat has not been settled under international law. However, per the Red Cross, any system that cannot reliably distinguish between combatants and civilians, or whose effects cannot be adequately limited and controlled, would be unlawful if deployed.
Published: Nov 12, 2026 11:30 am