British media: British robot dogs go to the battlefield in Ukraine
2024-08-20
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According to a report on the British Daily Telegraph website on August 17, the "robot dogs" provided by the UK have been deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine. It is understood that this is the first time they have been used in actual combat. Video footage released by the Kurt Force (a professional force within the 28th Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine) shows that these robot dogs are operating in areas close to the front line in the war-torn Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
Recently, it was reported that British security company British Alliance provided Ukraine with more than 30 sets of the company's second-generation robot dog (BAD2) equipment. These robot dogs are equipped with remote sensing technology and thermal infrared cameras. They operate on the ground and are able to explore trenches, buildings and dense vegetation that drones cannot enter. These robot dogs can move at a speed of 9 miles (about 14.4 kilometers) per hour for up to 5 hours and can carry more than 7 kilograms of ammunition, medical supplies or other items needed in battlefield hotspots. To Russian unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, the heat signature of these robot dogs is similar to that of a rabbit. This is because they are wrapped in heat-resistant camouflage produced by a German company and are difficult to detect. Once captured, the robot dog's data can be deleted remotely.
Another big advantage of the robot dog is its low cost. Each model costs between £3,400 and £6,800, depending on the modification. The commander of Kurt's unit told the Daily Telegraph: "If a dog can save a soldier's life, we will be satisfied." He said: "First of all, we have to try to save the lives of our soldiers, so BAD2 is very important to us. The robot dog can perform tasks such as reconnaissance, surveillance, detection of enemy ground targets, delivery of supplies and medicines, search for fighter jets, and aiming at artillery targets." The commander said that his unit is modifying the robot dogs to allow them to "act as attack vehicles or suicide attack unmanned equipment for enemy soldiers." He added: "After the robot dogs are fully modified according to our needs, we will start using them on a large scale. This process has begun."
Kyle Thorburn, managing director of the British Alliance, told the Daily Telegraph that the robot dog "is not designed to kill people." He said the company has been working with Ukraine's 28th Mechanized Brigade for some time, "working on solutions for urban environments and trench warfare." Thorburn would not comment on the exact number of robot dogs the company has provided to Ukrainian troops. However, he stressed that BAD2 was not designed as a weapon to kill people, but to "save lives." He said: "That's our ultimate goal." Thorburn also emphasized that the robot dog has the ability to identify booby traps and mines when traversing the most difficult battlefield environments. He asked: "Why send soldiers to do the job that a robot dog can do?" Valery Ryabek, who once served as an adviser to the Ukrainian military, said that converting the robot dog into a suicide unmanned weapon would be very useful on the battlefield.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "Destroying important targets in combat - especially in urban environments or forested areas where drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) cannot reach - is an important task." Riabeh said that as militaries around the world begin to focus on replacing human soldiers with robots when performing dangerous tasks, these robot dogs "have great potential on the battlefield." However, he said that BAD2 uses civilian technology rather than military technology, which reduces its combat capability. (Compiled by Yang Xuelei)
Source: Reference News
