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Ukraine aims to have robots handle 100% of front-line logistics missions.
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The Minister of Defense of Ukraine said that 25 thousand robots will be contracted in the first half of this year.
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Their use has increased. They carry gear and troops and attack Russian positions.
Ukraine is taking steps to boost its rapidly growing arsenal of combat robots, including buying thousands of new ones and pushing to replace 100% of front-line logistics with robotic systems.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced changes to boost production of ground robots, also known as unmanned ground vehicles, which help the Ukrainian military carry gear, lay mines, evacuate casualties and attack Russian positions.
He said Ukraine will contract 25,000 new robots in the first half of this year, double last year’s total, due to growing demand.
A major goal, he said, is to have 100% of its front-line logistics performed by these robots. This keeps vulnerable soldiers and dangerous supply vehicles out of harm’s way.
Soldiers have given detailed accounts of their impact. Oleksandr Yabchanka, head of robotic systems for Ukraine’s Da Vinci Wolves battalion, previously told Business Insider that an average-sized combat robot can carry about 10 soldiers.
Fedorov called robots “one of the most dynamic areas of defense technology” and said more than 280 companies are working in space in Ukraine. 280 companies are working in space in Ukraine.
Ground robots have been crucial to Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression because, like aerial drones, they replace soldiers in dangerous roles, which is important for a small force like Ukraine that can’t afford to waste manpower resources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky shared last week that Ukraine’s Ground Robot Force had carried out more than 22,000 missions on the front lines in the previous three months, meaning that “more than 22,000 lives were saved when a robot instead of a warrior went to the most dangerous area.”
The president’s comments also showed a big jump in the overall use of robots. Ukraine’s armed forces commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Sirsky, said in December that Ukraine’s ground robots had flown just 2,000 missions in the past six months. Then, at halftime, that number increased 10-fold.
Fedorov also revealed a significant increase in the use of battlefields. He shared that in March more than 9,000 missions were carried out with ground robots, showing how these assets are becoming central to Ukrainian operations.
Robots are performing new types of missions. Units and manufacturers say Russian robots have surrendered to them, and Zelensky said they were used for the first time in this war using unmanned platforms to take over Russian positions.
“The future is already on the front line – and Ukraine is building it,” he said.
Ground robots have been used in other conflicts, including by Western armies, but not to this extent. The West has taken note, with a growing interest in further adapting the technology for NATO forces.
Fedorov said that as part of the new efforts, the Agency for Defense Procurement of Ukraine has so far concluded 19 contracts with manufacturers worth about $250 million. He said he met with ground robot manufacturers to speed up supply, and they identified key challenges, including scaling production and integration into combat operations.
He listed new policy changes to allow speed, including changes to how contracts work by the Defense Procurement Agency at the Defense Ministry’s request, manufacturers will contract this year for next year, and the creation of a new center for manufacturers.
And at the same time, he said, Ukraine is also ramping up production of other components and accessories that make ground robots effective, such as weapons that attach them and parts that allow them to mine and de-mine.
Fedorov said the focus is on cheap and efficient systems. Partner nations are seeing a shift toward mass, low-cost weapons rather than a small number of advanced systems.
Read the original article on Business Insider
