Reference News Network, July 29 report. According to Japan's Sankei Shimbun on July 28, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted more than three years. On one hand, both sides are conducting trench warfare and assault operations, and on the other hand, they are deploying large numbers of drones for attack and reconnaissance. Now, both countries are accelerating the deployment of combat robots and support robots on the ground. The participation of a large number of ground robots in combat is unprecedented in human war history. In this sense, the nature of warfare is undergoing a significant change.

Recently, the U.S. media website Business Insider published a series of reports on the use of ground robots by the Ukrainian army. Business Insider explained: "Ground robots have been used in past conflicts, but never on such a large scale as in the Ukraine war."

The Ukrainian army is currently using the "Tethys" developed by Estonia's Miriam Robotics Company and the D-21 series of ground robots developed domestically. These robots are not only used for reconnaissance, saving injured soldiers, transporting front-line supplies, and handling explosives, but can also be equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers to participate in combat. It is reported that these robots can sometimes be loaded with bombs and crash into enemy positions for suicide attacks.

According to Miriam Robotics Company, the "Tethys" ground robot is about 250 cm long, 200 cm wide, and 120 cm high, with a maximum speed of up to 20 km/h. This robot is equipped with various sensors and cameras, and can carry up to 1200 kg of weapons and supplies.

According to the Ukrainian government's weapon development platform "United 24", the D-21 series of robots can travel 15 to 20 km even under harsh road conditions. Traditionally, rescuing one injured soldier requires 3 to 6 soldiers, and there is a risk of being attacked by enemy drones during the rescue process. However, if the D-21 robot is used, it can safely complete the rescue operation with just one unit. Air drones have difficulty detecting enemy soldiers hidden in the forest, but the D-21 can detect enemies on the ground.

According to a report by Business Insider, in addition to this, several European companies are involved in the development of ground robots and cooperate with Ukraine. Most of these ground robots are designed to allow easy replacement of parts according to different tasks such as combat and reconnaissance.

Ukrainian army ground robot operators told Business Insider: "Ground robots are like the LEGO building blocks I played with as a child."

It is not only the Ukrainian army that is deploying ground robots. The Russian army is also using tracked ground robots and small wheeled robots for transporting supplies and injured soldiers on the front lines. Tracked ground robots can carry heavy loads of up to 200 kg and can also carry small wheeled robots to the battlefield.

According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, the Russian army is using self-destruct ground robots called "Scorpion," which can dive under enemy tanks and armored vehicles to explode, as well as multi-purpose ground robots that can be equipped with machine guns and anti-tank systems.

In traditional battlefields, the risk is that when one side's soldiers use machine guns or artillery, the firing location may be discovered by the enemy, leading to counterattacks and losses. But if one side sends ground robots to fire, even if they are counterattacked, there will be no casualties. In addition, the situation where one's own soldiers are discovered and attacked by enemy drones can be prevented. Furthermore, in situations like Ukraine, where the military strength is inferior to the enemy, the use of ground robots can help reduce the gap in manpower.

Currently, ground robots are still in an auxiliary role for humans. However, as drones have advanced, the effectiveness of tanks and ground forces, which were once the main players on the battlefield, has declined. In the future, the use of ground robots is likely to continue to expand.

"Before the Ukraine war, people questioned the practicality of ground robots, but in the Ukraine war, their value was widely recognized," said Barci, CEO of Miriam Robotics, in an interview with Business Insider. "The Ukraine war shows that ground robots may play an important role on the battlefield."

Countless drones are hovering in the air, and robots are fighting fiercely on the ground, with no human figures in sight - this sci-fi movie-like scene may not be far away anymore. (Translated by Ma Xiaoyun)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7532328249758646819/

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