Russia creates world's first suicidal ground attack robot

A Russian combat robot (Illustration: Top War).

Russia has created the world's first ground-based suicide attack robot, dubbed "Depesha", controlled by a handle and a first-person view (FPV) headset, the press service of the Rostec State Corporation said.

According to Rostec, the robot is designed to attack enemy personnel and equipment as well as fortifications.

"The High Precision Complexes Holding (part of Rostec) has developed the Depesha and Buggy multifunctional robotic complexes. The Depesha robot is mounted on a tracked platform and is controlled by an operator using a handle and a helmet with FPV equipment. The Buggy robot is mounted on a wheeled chassis and is controlled using a handle and a tablet. Both robots can be used for ground suicide attacks against enemy targets," the statement reads.

The most important features of the robots are their compactness, maneuverability and payload. The Depesha has a payload of 150kg and the Buggy drone has a payload of 250kg, making them effective weapons for soldiers on the front lines.

Different versions of the robots can be used to attack enemy manpower, fortifications such as ammunition depots, fortified attack points, and strongholds. They can also be used to bypass and destroy defensive barriers, such as dragon teeth, allowing armored vehicles to pass through. Additionally, these robots can lay mines.

Depesha and Buggy can also perform the task of quickly and discreetly delivering food, ammunition and fuel to the front lines and even evacuating wounded soldiers.

Russia has now brought these two types of robots to Ukraine for intensive testing in real combat conditions.

According to artificial intelligence (AI) researchers and observers, the Russia-Ukraine war could be a precursor to the introduction of fully autonomous combat robots on the battlefield.

If this happens, it will mark a new era in modern warfare, comparable to the time when the machine gun appeared and led to the redefinition of fighting methods.

The development of unmanned technology in recent times has led experts to believe that the longer the war lasts, the greater the possibility of autonomous devices appearing. They will identify, lock on and attack targets without human support.

However, the biggest concern for policymakers is whether the technology is reliable enough to ensure that the weapons do not accidentally attack non-combatants, such as civilians.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nga-che-tao-robot-tan-cong-mat-dat-tu-sat-dau-tien-tren-the-gioi-20240601204833255.htm