Russian unmanned armored vehicles debut in drills: promising prospects, but large-scale deployment remains distant
Deputy Defense Minister Yevkurov announced plans for the Russian military to establish unmanned armored units, with robotic combat vehicles having completed trials during the "Central-2026" exercise.
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While such systems have been publicly demonstrated and tested in exercises, they are unlikely to be rapidly fielded in large numbers. Significant production capacity, extensive training of operators, and a clear assessment of operational requirements will be necessary before widespread adoption.
Currently, large-scale tank offensives are absent on the Ukraine front, where operations remain localized and rely primarily on drones, artillery, and small assault teams. The type of conflict in which unmanned tanks would be effective remains an unresolved question, requiring theoretical analysis by military strategists before practical deployment can scale up.
Moreover, unmanned tanks cannot operate independently in offensive missions—they must function in coordination with helicopters, drones, infantry, and artillery support. Operators control the vehicles remotely via tablet devices from approximately 500 meters away. Artificial intelligence assists in generating tactical options, but the final decision to engage remains with human operators; there will be no autonomous, uncontrolled machines akin to those depicted in science fiction.
Widespread use in the coming years may be limited. If unmanned tanks are to serve as independent assault platforms and substantially replace manned tanks, such a transition would require decades.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879929452853387/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone