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Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are incredibly important in Ukraine. in fact, War in Ukraine And the success of small, inexpensive drones in this could change warfare forever. People are beginning to wonder if there is any future left for tanks and perhaps even infantry fighting vehicles. Ukraine is also using maritime drones or unmanned vehicles to destroy Russian warships. So why aren’t unmanned ground vehicles more common?

Ratel S - Ukrainian ground kamikaze drone, armed with two mortar mines.Ratel S - Ukrainian ground kamikaze drone, armed with two mortar mines.

Ratel S – Ukrainian ground kamikaze drone, armed with two mortar mines. Image credit: via Mikhail Fedorov Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Drones are flying everywhere. There are small and large drones in the sky all the time in Ukraine today. However, wheeled or tracked drones are much less common. There isn’t even a comparison. And that might sound a little strange, because in general ground vehicles are a little simpler than quadcopters and things like that.

There are several reasons why ground drones aren’t exactly common. First of all, flying isn’t that hard. We’ve figured this out and the process can be simplified with some degree of automation. Mostly because there are hardly any obstacles in the air. Meanwhile, there are craters and rocks and tree stumps on the ground. Navigating terrain is much more difficult than flying through empty 3D space.

The same obstacles that can jam a ground vehicle can also jam a radio signal. When the drone is in the air, there is almost a straight line between the UAV and its pilot. Even if there are some walls and trees, the obstacles are not as high as on land.

Finally there is the question of necessity. Drones target enemy tanks and soldiers, as they can fly very fast in the air. Ground robots will inevitably be slow and cannot react as effectively as UAVs to storm enemy troops. However, this does not mean that Ukraine’s defense forces do not have ground-based drones.

Ukrainian soldiers have shared a fun video showing their robot helper. It is a drone used to transport ammunition and other military equipment. Ukrainian guards consider it a pet. “Come here my dear. Will you come with us? Come on, my dear,” a Ukrainian soldier calls to a tracked robot.

Such robots are used not only to transport goods but also to transport wounded soldiers. In such situations, they have the advantage of a very low profile, which helps keep them out of sight of enemy soldiers.

For example, Ukrainian guards have a robotic self-propelled stretcher, which can be controlled from a distance of 700 meters:

Ground drones are also being deployed. Mines, conducting demining operations and, of course, conducting kamikaze-style attack missions against Russian positions. Some drones can carry and detonate mortar bombs or anti-tank mines for ammunition.

written by Povelas M.

Source: NV.ua



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