Ground Robot With Twin Kalashnikovs, Robotic Turret, Combat Tested By Ukraine

Unlike Russia's fanciful and often desperately defensive designs, Ukraine's latest technological innovations are being created with the idea of increasing offensive effectiveness and lethality. JL

New Voice of Ukraine reports:

Ukraine has begun combat testing armed unmanned ground vehicles equipped with robotic turrets and Kalashnikov-pattern rifles. Using standard Kalashnikov rifles reduces production costs and makes it easier to rapidly scale deployment of the armed ground robotic systems along the front. The system is built on a four-wheel chassis with airless tires and features a protected hull. Its weapons module features a twin turret capable of mounting two rifles at once, significantly increasing the volume of fire during assault and defensive operations against enemy infantry. There have been confirmed cases of the unmanned ground vehicles being successfully used against enemy ambushes involving drones.

Units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces have begun combat testing new armed unmanned ground vehicles equipped with robotic turrets and Kalashnikov-pattern rifles, the Defense Ministry said.

The strike systems were developed to specifications provided by Brave1, Ukraine’s defense technology cluster.

The project received grant funding, and developers needed less than six months to move from the initial concept to a working prototype, the ministry said.

Photo: Міноборони

Using standard Kalashnikov-pattern rifles reduces production costs and makes it easier to rapidly scale deployment of the armed ground robotic systems along the front. 

The system is built on a four-wheel chassis with airless tires and features a protected hull.

Photo: Міноборони

The design makes it resistant to shrapnel, bullets and punctures while allowing it to maneuver over difficult terrain, the ministry said.

Its weapons module features a twin turret capable of mounting two rifles at once, significantly increasing the volume of fire during assault and defensive operations against enemy infantry.

The turret can also be installed on other wheeled and tracked unmanned ground vehicles.

Several Ukrainian Defense Forces units are already testing the systems under combat conditions.

There have also been confirmed cases of the unmanned ground vehicles being successfully used against enemy ambushes involving drones, the ministry said.