Russian 'Marker' Combat Robots to Be Sent to Ukraine Skynetski Ground Sea and Air

a reply to: putnam6

Russia has to at least keep up with the west if she wants to continue selling gear to others indeed if she wants to keep china onboard as an ally rather than another predator she has to best or at least fight the west to a stand still..

it looks like Russia's value to others will dwindle if she can't get the upper hand somewhere..

it feels wrong talking about people in this way but the world is full of predators most especially among allies..

a reply to: nickyw

I'm sure the Ukrainians will come up with an answer anyway.

A simple covered trapping pit would probably be enough to take it out of action nickyw.

Plus they are remotely operated which means they will most likely be able to be hacked.

Interesting technology all the same.

a reply to: putnam6

Hypersonic missiles are overhyped putnam6.

They are only effective against stationary targets for a start.

And then there is the prohibitive cost of such weaponry to consider.

When you can achieve the same destruction using conventional cruise missiles which is a hell of a lot more reliable and cheaper.

As to the Russian ground drones, they are interesting, but they look antiquated nevermind easily destroyed.

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: putnam6

#14 is the combat robot

Which is a pile of junk. Which if you look back i posted on this thread earlier.

Here.

nationalinterest.org...

It's from 2016 do you think they may have made upgrades in the 6 years since. Furthermore if you read more about the deployment in Syria #1 Russia says they were used on an experimental basis #2 with completely different regions, combatants, and tactics. As it's been mentioned Ukraine has used drones to great effectiveness correct?

One of the new main capabilities is aerial drone defense, will it work? who knows? but google Ukraine drone effectiveness and ask yourself if the Russians had an EFFECTIVE countermeasure would it impact or change Ukrainian tactics.

a reply to: putnam6

It's from 2016 do you think they may have made upgrades in the 6 years since. Furthermore if you read more about the deployment in Syria #1 Russia says they were used on an experimental basis #2 with completely different regions, combatants, and tactics.

So aside from being used on an "experimental basis" in Syria, how many confirmed kills are these drones responsible for?

a reply to: putnam6

It's from 2016.

The article was from 2019. And this

In May 2018, the Russian military revealed it had combat-tested its Uran-9 robot tank in Syria.

And there is this.

However, just a month later Defense Blog reported that Senior Research Officer Andrei Anisimov told a conference at the Kuznetsov Naval Academy in St. Petersburg that the Uran-9’s performance in Syria revealed that “modern Russian combat Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) are not able to perform the assigned tasks in the classical types of combat operations.” He concluded it would be ten to fifteen more years before UGVs were ready for such complex tasks

So we could be looking at between 2028 -2035 at the earliest for these " Game Changers " to be any good for Russia.

Don't quote me, read the article.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: putnam6

Hypersonic missiles are overhyped putnam6.

They are only effective against stationary targets for a start.

And then there is the prohibitive cost of such weaponry to consider.

When you can achieve the same destruction using conventional cruise missiles which is a hell of a lot more reliable and cheaper.

As to the Russian ground drones, they are interesting, but they look antiquated nevermind easily destroyed.

Thanks for the discussion BTW, I just wondering and avoiding real work LOL.

news.usni.org...

USNI.org backs your thoughts on the hypersonic missiles, still, Russia produced and fire 1500 of them. It's all about the numbers even if 50% worked. If Russia could produce and fire 1500 of them imagine if they could do those numbers in drones. Even if drones just replaced 5 soldiers each till they were blown up, that's Russian 7500 soldiers doing other assignments because of the drones.

The Kremlin’s most advanced missile systems are not operating effectively in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, U.S. Northern Command chief Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck said Wednesday before the Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee.

The Russians have “had challenges with some of their hypersonic missiles as far as accuracy,” he told the panel.

“I will tell you, originally, we thought they weren’t working at a rate that was as good as ours. But what I would say is, they’re on par with our capabilities, not all of them, specifically their cruise missiles,” VanHerck said.

Despite Russia’s overall inaccuracy in firing all of its missiles, John Plumb, the assistant secretary of defense for space policy, said “the sobering reality” is that the estimated 1,500 missiles Russia has fired since the Feb. 24 invasion targeted Ukrainian civilians.

The witnesses agreed it was the largest deployment of missile systems since World War II.

a reply to: putnam6

No problem putnam6, discussion is after all what ATS is all about.

The drones are interesting, but i just don't think they are anywhere near ready to replace the average infantryman just yet.

I don't see them being very stealthy for a start.

Enemy troops are apt to hear them approaching, hunker down, simply wait until they safely pass by then take it out with a RPG from behind, or from the side, by my guesstimation.

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: putnam6

It's from 2016.

The article was from 2019. And this

In May 2018, the Russian military revealed it had combat-tested its Uran-9 robot tank in Syria.

And there is this.

However, just a month later Defense Blog reported that Senior Research Officer Andrei Anisimov told a conference at the Kuznetsov Naval Academy in St. Petersburg that the Uran-9’s performance in Syria revealed that “modern Russian combat Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) are not able to perform the assigned tasks in the classical types of combat operations.” He concluded it would be ten to fifteen more years before UGVs were ready for such complex tasks

So we could be looking at between 2028 -2035 at the earliest for these " Game Changers " to be any good for Russia.

Don't quote me, read the article.

Apologizes when I said 2016, referring to the first deployment in Syria.

See below the more recent article ironically from your source National Interest.

nationalinterest.org...

FWIW if you read the article it says the versions deployed in Syria were 2 12 ton versions, if Im reading correctly those deployed in Ukraine are the smaller 3 ton versions along with other upgrades

Uran-9: Russia’s Robot Tanks Are Ready For War
Somewhere Putin is smiling: The first robot tanks are about to report for duty.

by Peter Suciu
Somewhere Putin is smiling: The first robot tanks are about to report for duty.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a unit of the Russian Army equipped with "strike robot" is set to be established.

Russia's Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu has already reviewed the fulfillment of the defense procurement plan, which will see the formation of the country's first unit to be equipped with the Uran-9 robotic combat systems.

The plan was presented at the 766th Production and Technological Enterprise in Nakhabino outside Moscow. It develops and manufactures robotic vehicles of various designations for the Russian military.

"As Chief of the Army Main Staff Vasily Tonkoshurov reported to the defense minister, the first unit with strike robots will be set up in the Russian Armed Forces to operate five Uran-9 robotic systems or 20 combat vehicles," the ministry told Tass earlier this month.

In the testing in Syria, the Uran-9 wasn't seen as a major success, in part because of a limited field of view for the operators, while the unit also failed to respond quickly enough at critical times.

"Shortcomings were identified during the tests in Syria. In particular, the issues of control, reduced mobility, and unsatisfactory military intelligence and surveillance functions had been considered by engineers and were rectified," said Vladimir Dmitriev, head of the Kalashnikov Concern.

This could explain why the Russian Army is creating a new unit to work out the kinks in the platform, while additional testing will occur in a safer environment.

The Russian military has already announced efforts that could soon utilize heavy robots for mine clearance, while in the future these could be deployed as scouts, and in radiation and chemical reconnaissance roles.

a reply to: putnam6

Uran-9: Russia’s Robot Tanks Are Ready For War.

Well that was stated 9 months ago from date of the article, and there is still no show.

I therefore prefer to go with this article from last month.

Uran-9’s absence from the war suggests technical problems were even worse than originally reported.

finance.yahoo.com...

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: putnam6

No problem putnam6, discussion is after all what ATS is all about.

The drones are interesting, but i just don't think they are anywhere near ready to replace the average infantryman just yet.

I don't see them being very stealthy for a start.

Enemy troops are apt to hear them approaching, hunker down, simply wait until they safely pass by then take it out with a RPG from behind, or from the side, by my guesstimation.

I guess we will find out.

FWIW below are Tass's thoughts on the subject, New info with a Kremlin twist and spin no doubt.

tass.com...

NAKHABINO /Moscow Region/, April 9. /TASS/. The first unit armed with strike robots will be established in the Russian Army, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Friday.

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected on Friday the fulfillment of the defense procurement plan at the 766th Production and Technological Enterprise in Nakhabino outside Moscow that develops and manufactures robotic vehicles of various designation.

"As Chief of the Army Main Staff Vasily Tonkoshurov reported to the defense minister, the first unit with strike robots will be set up in the Russian Armed Forces to operate five Uran-9 robotic systems or 20 combat vehicles," the ministry said.

For the purposes of elaborating methods and forms of employing squads with robotic systems, "an experimental unit is being established on the premises of one of the Defense Ministry’s scientific research centers," it said.

"This center will subsequently train personnel that will operate Uran-9 strike robotic vehicles in operational military units," the ministry added.

Uran-9 robotic vehicles were earlier employed only as separate systems, it said.
The Uran-9 combat robot is produced by the 766th Production and Technological Enterprise. It is armed with a 30mm automatic gun, Ataka anti-tank missiles, and Shmel flamethrowers.

a reply to: putnam6

Think of the cost of just one unit compared to an infantryman with a RPG?

My bet is they get laughed off the battlefield putnam6 or cause more trouble than they are worth.

Time will tell i suppose.

a reply to: andy06shake

My bet is they get laughed off the battlefield.

The funny part is they are powered by a Diesel Engine.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: putnam6

Think of the cost of just one unit compared to an infantryman with a RPG?

My bet is they get laughed off the battlefield putnam6 or cause more trouble than they are worth.

Time will tell i suppose.

Perhaps and yes time will tell but I'll leave the thread with this from the think tank CSIS.

www.csis.org...

Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul explains that Putin has invested billions in modernizing Russia’s conventional, nuclear, and hybrid warfare capabilities. Technologies like AI are only valued for their enhancement of Russia’s ability to achieve its revanchist foreign policy objectives or to bolster regime security. Albert Yefimov, head of robotics at the Skolkovo Innovation Center, quipped to The Guardian in 2015 that “we don’t want to make war; we want to make robots.” However, in May 2021, the Russian Ministry of Defense hailed the beginning of production of Russian “battle robots,” suggesting that the Putin regime does not see a difference between the two domains.

a reply to: putnam6

I don't think you are wrong about the future being all about drone warfare.

Consider the small drones that are used to drop munitions on the likes of tanks and infantry lines which are relatively cheap to manufacture and produce.

Imagine unleashing 1000s of them, in a swarm attack, carrying incendiaries, to predefined targets, and dropping their payload at a predefined time, in the likes of a major town or city?

The entire place would go up like a blue light, and there is little to nothing defensive forces, or the fire brigade could do to prevent the place from burning to the ground because they would simply be overwhelmed.

originally posted by: BernnieJGato
a reply to: putnam6

somewhere there's a thread on here from years ago about farty going to a demonstration for autonomous ground assault robbots. it might have been drones. they were a joke, and the look on farty's face said it all. can't remember the name of the thread and can't find anything with a search.

but remembering that thread and knowing how strapped for cash russia was /is, having to turn to people like iran and others. willing to bet they didn't build them and if they did their not going to deploy many cause they probably don't have many.

Russia doesn't have to turn to Iran for anything. You invalidate everything you said by this "nonsense". Iran is getting to test its equipment in the Ukraine theater.

That's like saying the US needed UK's help in Afghanistan. It didn't need anyone, it just let them show up to get experience.

originally posted by: alldaylong
a reply to: andy06shake

My bet is they get laughed off the battlefield.

The funny part is they are powered by a Diesel Engine.

What's funny about it? 3 days operation is beyond the capability of any battery pack. What else will power it? Compressed natural gas? Only diesel engines are competent enough to endure 3days constant operation as a power plant.

Maybe learn a thing or two about electric motors before your cynical, western mind makes criticisms you can't cash.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: putnam6

Hypersonic missiles are overhyped putnam6.

They are only effective against stationary targets for a start.

And then there is the prohibitive cost of such weaponry to consider.

When you can achieve the same destruction using conventional cruise missiles which is a hell of a lot more reliable and cheaper.

As to the Russian ground drones, they are interesting, but they look antiquated nevermind easily destroyed.

A human is easily destroyed. Especially one by themselves. A drone is no different, US drones are easily destroyed.

The point is as a system they add complexity and pressure to the defender/attacker/opposing side.

My first thought what this drone would be used for is to spot for artillery. A very potent capability when operating behind enemy lines to give artillery a great target.

a reply to: DarthTrader

damn son, you ain't current at all russia is using the hell out of iranian Shahed-131/136 kamikaze drones every day. and reports their going to start producing them if they can kiss the ayatollah ass good enough, do try to stay current and stop spreading ol farty bearsh@@, and stop running round the threads acting like your supper intelligent and up to date on what they got and are doing.
the 2nd ranked military in the world is getting it's ass handed to them by the 22nd ranked military. pushing one year now and russia can't do anything but act like terrorist and depends on no better than 2 terrorist mercenary groups to do the major hard part of their fighting


oh and Ukraine has shot down one Mig 31 back in april of last year. since then 31's just stay on their side of the front line and fire the R-37M’s using the 9B-1103M-15 radar from 200 miles. worked for a while but Ukrainian pilots have learned how to evade the R-37's and their kill rate has dropped.

They haven't even deployed the SU 57 cause the ain't got very many and are to damn broke to build more kinda like the T 14. cost to much to lose and replace. russia is a paper tiger that has to use old wore out sh@@.

a reply to: DarthTrader

A human is easily destroyed. Especially one by themselves. A drone is no different, US drones are easily destroyed.

Seems to me that's simply stating the obvious.

All things are easily destroyed, if you have the correct tool for the job, take Russian tanks for instance, and what happens to them when the encounter a Javelin missile strike.

The point is as a system they add complexity and pressure to the defender/attacker/opposing side.

That may be true if they work in conjunction alongside Russian infantry, instead of only with other drones(6) but i don't think they do.

They are remote-controlled weapons platform, as to any autonomy they may have, my bet is that rudimentary at best and dangerous to all as opposed to simply the other side.

My first thought what this drone would be used for is to spot for artillery. A very potent capability when operating behind enemy lines to give artillery a great target.

I would imagine artillery is a hell of a lot easier to spot from the air with cheap assed off-the-shelf drones, as opposed to from the ground with a diesel-powered tracked vehicle.