In July, the Rostec State Corporation announced the creation of the Prometheus hardware and software complex, which will be able to turn any IFVs, armored personnel carriers and even tanks into drones. The development will increase the effectiveness of armored vehicles in combat, and most importantly — save the lives of the crews. About the features of Russian combat robotic complexes — in the material of TASS
Uninhabited "Urans"
The Russian defense industry has been working on the creation of heavy robotic complexes since the beginning of the last decade. The main idea of the projects is to exclude human participation in combat operations in the most dangerous areas. For example, some of the already existing models of unmanned armored vehicles are able to lead a column of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, destroy the enemy in a complex urban development, conduct reconnaissance and mine clearance.
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| Impact robotic complex (RTK) "Uran-9". |
| Source: © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation | Go to Photobank |
Today, the most well-known Russian robotic complexes (RTK) of the Uran family produced by the 766th Department of Production and Technological Equipment. There are three tracked vehicles in the line, "sharpened" for different tasks.
The first to appear was "Uran-6", created to help the engineering troops. The remotely controlled armored robot is equipped with various devices for mine clearance and has already proven itself well in minefields in the vicinity of the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor. According to the results of the tests, the Uran-6 was put into serial production, and in 2019 the first batch of unmanned sappers entered the troops.
"Uran-9" is a combat tracked robot that can be equipped with a 30 mm automatic cannon, a machine gun, as well as rocket—propelled grenades or guided missiles. Powerful weapons in conjunction with an optoelectronic target search complex allows the machine to hit both ground and air targets. The Uran-9 equipment is integrated into a single tactical control system and is protected from unauthorized access by electronic warfare.
The main task of the 12-ton strike "Uranus" is to cover the personnel. At the same time, experts do not exclude that the car will be able to operate in conjunction with a helicopter or drone. In addition, a combat robot equipped with a thermal imager is able to see a well-disguised sniper. At the same time, he himself has a warning system about laser irradiation, which makes it much more difficult to take him in the sight. Uranus is controlled from a special point, which can be located at a distance of up to 3 km.
The third robotic complex of the family — "Uran-14" is designed to extinguish large fires and dismantle debris in the combat zone.
"Titmouse" and "Prometheus"
At the beginning of July 2023, TASS reported on the readiness for use on the battlefield of a robotic BMP with the Tit module from Kurganmashzavod and the Signal Research Institute. According to Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy General Director of Rostec, an unmanned IFV with a combat module "Tit" is capable of performing the same functions as a conventional vehicle with a crew.
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| BMD-4M assault combat vehicle with the Titmouse combat module. |
| Source: Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS |
According to the manufacturer, "Tit" in the hands of a skilled operator can support motorized rifle units with fire in the most dangerous areas — for example, in dense urban development. Thanks to a panoramic sight with a teleteplovision channel, the module sees everything in a 360-degree radius, is able to conduct targeted shooting around the clock. The Tit is armed with a 100-mm cannon with the possibility of launching anti-tank missiles, an automatic cannon of 30 mm caliber and a machine gun.
As Sergey Kurdubanov, the chief designer of the Signal Research Institute, told the Zvezda TV channel, the crew controls the Tit in normal mode, but if necessary, he can leave the BMP and switch to remote control using a special remote control. Working in offline mode resembles the plot of a computer game: receiving a picture from external cameras in real time, the operator leads the BMP using a joystick. In case of an attack, he can aim remotely, select the appropriate ammunition and open fire.
The continuation of the work on the robotization of the BMP-3 was another high—tech novelty this summer - the Prometheus software and hardware complex, which allows you to turn not only the BMP, but also the APC and even the tank into remotely controlled robotic machines.
According to Bekhan Ozdoev, industrial director of the cluster of armaments, ammunition and special chemicals of Rostec Corporation, an armored vehicle equipped with such a complex, as well as the Tit, can work both in crew mode and with the help of a remote control. At the same time, equipping combat vehicles with the Prometheus robotic module does not require serious modifications to the chassis.
"Marker"
In 2018, the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research (FPI) commissioned the NGO "Android Technology" to develop a fully autonomous ground-based robotic complex. "Android Technology" became widely known in 2019 after the flight into space of the anthropomorphic robot Fedor (call sign Skybot F-850), which in test mode helped astronauts in orbit to perform maintenance tasks. maintenance of the ISS.
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| RTK "Marker". |
| Source: © Foundation for Advanced Research |
As Alexey Bogdanov, the head of the Marker project laboratory, told TASS earlier in an interview, the new modular platform, depending on the tasks, can change both the chassis (from wheeled to tracked) and the payload. The "Marker", designed to participate in combat operations, is equipped with a Utes machine gun and a block for two RPG-26s. In 2020, during the tests, the robot, moving around the landfill, automatically recognized targets and conducted high-precision fire on them.
According to the developer, the main advantage of the "Marker" is the ability to simultaneously defeat targets with various types of weapons. The accuracy and speed of work make it possible to destroy not only large objects, but also small drones.
"Bumblebee"
The Bumblebee sapper robot from the High-Precision Complexes holding was first presented to the general public in May 2023 at the international salon "Integrated Security". The mine clearance machine is based on the ANT-1000 loader and is designed to detect and eliminate anti-personnel mines. A chain hammer trawl is used as a working element in the machine. Solid-filled wheels and folding tracks significantly increase the patency and durability of the machine.
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| A robotic mine clearance machine based on the Ant-1000 mini loader. |
| Source: rostec.ru |
According to the press service of Rostec, to date, the robotic complex has passed a number of tests, including at the site of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In general, the car performed well, but a number of improvements will be made to the design. The Bumblebee series will be launched after the final tests and will be in demand primarily in new Russian regions.
Prepared by Vasily Kuchushev