Armed with a machine gun and two RPGs, the Hunter robot can attack the Russian occupiers at any time of the day or night and in any weather conditions. But the best thing about such robots is that they perform tasks that are usually very risky and endanger the lives of living people.
Engineers at Sumy University in Ukraine have created a robot called Hunter. It is designed to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the upcoming counter-offensive, especially in situations that are particularly dangerous for Ukraine’s defenders. Ihor Molotok, a member of the Verkhovna Rada, told more about the new robotic system.
According to him, when discussing their problems, Ukrainian soldiers said they needed unmanned systems for close combat. Ukraine is much smaller than Russia and may begin to experience a shortage of qualified soldiers. It is important to save lives, and robots can help troops avoid some life-threatening clashes.
The Myslyvets combat robot from Sumy has already passed preliminary tests and can help Ukraine’s defenders. Its capabilities were even demonstrated to the Commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. The developers hope that the remote-controlled robot will help save the lives of Ukrainian defenders, especially during street battles in urban areas.
With full ammunition, the robot weighs about 230 kg. A fully charged battery allows it to patrol for 8 hours or fight for 1 hour. “This is a reliable machine that will really help our guys,” Ihor Molotok told reporters.
The Hunter robot is armed with a 7.62mm PKT machine gun with a range of up to 1,500 metres and two RPG-7 grenade launchers mounted on a rotary turret. It also has a video camera and thermal imager that transmits images to the operator. An infrared camera allows the robot to remain active at night.
The Hunter even has an automatic guidance system that helps the operator react quickly to targets that appear unexpectedly. With a 7.62mm machine gun and an RPG, this robot can engage both humans and lightly armoured vehicles. It can also hit walls to remove obstacles.
Of course, this robot has its drawbacks – it is the first prototype, and such weapons are never perfect right away. So far, the Hunter can only be controlled from a distance of 100 metres, which means that the operator must be very close to the combat zone (for example, hiding in a trench). This eliminates one of the main advantages of combat robots, as the operator will still be in danger. But it is expected that the control range will be improved in the future.
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that drones, including small commercial drones, can be a valuable tactical tool. Perhaps the time has come for combat robots to become an important military asset?
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