Russian attempts to create ground-based robots to aid its combat forces over many years have been lackluster to say the least, however, both Russia and Ukraine are putting more thought into robots serving on the battlefield.
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) quickly proved to be a game changer on the battlefield in Ukraine, and drones have leveled the playing field in a way not expected before Russia launched its unprovoked invasion more than three years ago.
Drones have been used to devastating effect by both sides in the ongoing conflict. At the same time, they have been employed by the Houthi militants to target commercial shipping in the Red Sea, resulting in a costly war of attrition for the United States. There are even reports that Mexican drug cartels are using drones to monitor American military movements along the southern border.
The Ukrainian military has carried out several high-profile seaborne drone strikes, essentially crippling Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
Drones’ capabilities were unexpected, and military planners may not fully understand what could be part of the next generation of high-tech weapons: robots!
Drones have been emphasized as “loyal wingmen” that could operate alongside the next generation of combat aircraft. Such an effort is underway with the Pentagon’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), while the U.S. Navy has been exploring how drones could serve as a force multiplier to support manned warships and submarines.
Of course, the United States isn’t alone in focusing on autonomous systems, but Russian military planners are looking to determine best how “combat robotic platforms” can be employed.
Robots in the Russian Army
At a science and technical conference hosted by the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) earlier this month, Kremlin chief Andrey Belousov called upon relevant military officials, Russian industry, and think tanks to focus more on combat robotic platforms.
“The defense ministry ordered the relevant officials and the organizations to determine the order of developing ground-based systems and address their flaws based on the current needs of the army, as well as to establish a feedback mechanism connecting the army with production facilities, ensure the use of unified and standardized parts for the production of robots, determine a modular approach for their production and draft the documents necessary for completing the relevant missions,” read the Ministry of Defense statement, Tass reported.
Defense Minister Belousov noted that “several hundred ground-based robots” were delivered to the Russian military and added, “this year, we plan to deliver many more.”
According to state media, the recent event brought together “senior officials from the ministry, federal government agencies, research organizations under the Defense Ministry, and production facilities.”
Past Mistakes of Russian Robotic Production
The exact types of robots that could be produced are unknown, but Russia’s past efforts with robots proved to be a spectacular failure. As David Axe explained in a piece for Forbes, Russia’s first significant assault with ground-based drones was far from a success.
Two or more small, tracked, grenade-launched armed mini-tanks that attempted an assault on a Ukrainian position were destroyed in short order.
“We don’t know exactly what the Russians were trying to do with their grenade-launching robotic mini-tanks. We don’t know exactly how the Ukrainians thwarted them. We know that, years ago, analysts anticipated just how difficult it might be for armies to begin folding robotic ground vehicles into mechanized attacks,” Axe wrote.
As drones have proven successful in the air and on/under the water, ground warfare may have too many challenges to overcome.
Yet, Russia will continue to try to come up with options. One factor may be that Russia has lost so many tanks that it can’t replace them, and small unmanned ground-based systems may be far more cost-effective, although they may prove to be far less combat-effective as well.
Ukraine Approves a Ground-Based Robot
It isn’t just the Kremlin that is considering how drones could shift the momentum on the front lines, as the Ukrainian military has been using ground-based drones to lay mines, carry out reconnaissance, and even provide ammunition delivery and medical evacuations.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense recently approved the D-21-12R ground robot.
“The ground robotic system is fitted with a large-caliber machine gun. It can perform various tasks, including surveillance, patrolling, providing fire support for our units, targeting enemy personnel and lightly armored vehicles, and more. The system excels in traversing off-road environments, marshlands, and shallow water barriers. The operator controls the system’s actions from a protected shelter located at a considerable distance,” the MoD statement read.
Though the exact size of the platform wasn’t noted, based on photos published by the MoD, it appears to be the size of a 4×4 off-road vehicle, with a small turret mounted on the top that was outfitted with a Browning M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun.
There are still questions, such as the range of operation, how much ammunition it carries, and how much autonomy the platform possesses.
For now, the drone warfare we’ve seen is more of a remotely-controlled platform than fully “unmanned,” as in an autonomous one, but that may be for the best.
On the modern battlefield, it is hard to tell friends from foes, civilians from soldiers, and the last thing either side wants is a robot that shoots first and never asks questions!
This could explain why drone attacks on the ground may remain far more limited than those seen in the air or at sea.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/ Goga Shutter.
