Ukrainian military officials have unveiled an adaptable war robot that can switch up its mode of travel, and even the type of weapons it carries.
The Phantom ground robot can be fitted with tank-like treads, or move about on six wheels – and, it can carry anti-tank weapons, grenade launchers, or machine guns, according to DefenseOne.
The robot was demonstrated on Monday at the Association of the US Army show in Washington, D.C., and could hit the battlefield as soon as next year.
Ukrainian military officials have unveiled an adaptable war robot that can switch up its mode of travel, and even the type of weapons it carries. According to its creators, it could be used to transport ammunition, perform combat missions, or even rescue wounded soldiers
Phantom, also sometimes referred to as Fantom, can drive up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) at a time, at a maximum speed of 38 kilometers per hour.
The multipurpose vehicle is remotely operated, and has day and night sighting systems that can fire up to a distance of over a kilometer (.6 miles).
It can be operated remotely using a secure radio channel, or using a 5 kilometer-long fiber cable.
According to its creators, it could be used to transport ammunition, perform combat missions, or even rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield.
‘Unmanned multipurpose tactical vehicle ‘Phantom’ is a response to the challenges of technological era, pressing its demands to creating entirely new armament types: unmanned, multi-functional and capable of performing tasks that are now performed by soldiers only, endangering their lives,’ Roman Romanov, head of the SC ‘UkrOboronProm,’ said of the technology last year.
‘These are the characteristics demonstrated by ‘Phantom.’
Phantom, also sometimes referred to as Fantom, can drive up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) at a time, at a maximum speed of 38 kilometers per hour.
The Phantom ground robot can be fitted with tank-like treads, or move about on six wheels – and, it can carry anti-tank weapons, grenade launchers, or machine guns, according to DefenseOne
According to officials at the demonstration this week, the new ground bot could be used in combat against Russian-backed forces, Defense One reports.
Russia also has ground robots – but, they’ve not yet indicated that it is ready to deploy the machines.
‘What’s interesting about the Ukrainian conflict is that it’s the Ukrainian side that is developing unmanned systems it thinks will help it fight,’ Samuel Bendett, an associate research analysed with the center for Naval Analyses’ International Affairs Group, told DefenseOne.
‘Phantom is one such machine.’
The US has also tested weaponized ground robots in recent years.
This past spring, it was revealed that researchers have quietly been testing roughly 50 robots at the Navy’s Camp Pendleton base in California.
Using high-tech drones and weaponised robots on the front line could help protect the lives of soldiers, the US Navy said.
Among the new weapons are robots armed with machine guns that can storm beaches as a first line of assault.
The Navy is also testing speedboats that can transform into stealthy submarines to hide from threats.