bne IntelliNews – Ukraine deploys “four-legged killing machines” against Putin’s armed forces

In a real version of the 1987 hit RobocopThe Ukrainian military has already deployed 30 British-made robot dogs for reconnaissance in combat zones against Putin's forces. But the country's ambitions go even further in the direction of science fiction: There are numerous plans for a home-made “robot army”, complete with AI-controlled machine guns and self-driving cars, reported The Daily Mail.

“These robot dogs with cameras (known as BAD.2) can slip through trenches and undergrowth where Ukrainian soldiers should not expose themselves to unnecessary danger and where drones can no longer see,” said Kyle Thorburn, head of British manufacturer Brit Alliance, Picture.

The BAD.2 robots are reportedly undetectable by thermal imaging cameras, can travel at 15 km/h and have a range of 3.5 km. They can operate for up to five hours on a single battery charge. Each costs between 4,000 and 8,000 euros.

“Army of Robots”

But Ukraine is not content with importing just a few dozen British robot dogs. The country's Defense Ministry recently stressed that 80% of orders for the army would be taken by domestic firms. And the Ukrainian government's newest minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, has been pushing for the development of next-generation weapons for the country's ongoing conflict with Russia. The Sunday Telegraph reports.

Fedorov, who serves as minister for digital transformation, has overseen reforms that loosen government procurement rules and create a free market environment, and has encouraged more than 200 Ukrainian companies to engage in defense innovation. His efforts have drawn comparisons to the U.S. government's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), which was created in 1958 to drive technological advances with potential military applications.

“You know, war starts with a certain level of technology and ends with a completely different level of technology,” Fedorov, 32, told the newspaper. He is aware that technology can be life-saving in Ukraine's fight against a much larger Russian force and stressed the importance of innovation in saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. “We don't have many people and the life of every soldier is important to us,” he added.

Fedorov's latest initiative envisages the creation of a “robot army” to take on tasks that would normally put Ukrainian soldiers at risk. Automated machine guns equipped with artificial intelligence for precise targeting have already been deployed, and recent announcements have highlighted the production of robots that can lay mines and detect explosives.

“We want robots that can absorb as much enemy firepower as possible so that we can be flexible and avoid the lives of our soldiers,” Fedorov explained. He also envisions fleets of self-driving vehicles that would transport weapons, deliver ammunition and evacuate injured soldiers from the front lines.

Accordingly The Sunday TelegraphSuccessful tests were carried out of a new generation of air defense sensors that use secret Ukrainian technologies and are different from the radar systems of NATO countries. These sensors are designed to identify and track Russian drones and missiles, thus supporting Ukraine's defense efforts.

Global ambitions

Ukraine is far from alone in pursuing a real-life version of Robocop. In training exercises with the Cambodian military this summer, China unveiled an army of armed robot dogs. The world's leading military powers, including China, Russia, the US and the UK, are racing to develop and deploy robot war dogs equipped with deadly capabilities ranging from sniper rifles to flamethrowers, reported The Daily Mail.

In the United States, consumers can even buy a flamethrower robot dog for their own use. The “Thermonator,” developed by Throwflame, spits a powerful jet of fire that can reach several meters and set virtually any target on fire. Sales of the Thermonator recently began in most parts of the United States, bringing this terrifying technology to the public.

The British Army has also begun testing its own version of these robot dogs, it is reported The Daily MailAlthough the British variant has not been shown with a weapon, the possibility of arming these machines remains open. In a video shared by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, similar robots are shown planning routes, approaching targets and avoiding obstacles, operating on the battlefield for up to four hours.

General Collins, a senior British military official, has suggested that by 2030, first contact with an enemy on the battlefield could be made by robotic systems, marking a significant shift in military strategy. British Army ReviewCollins compared these developments to scenes from the Hollywood blockbuster “Terminator,” in which autonomous machines wage war against humanity.

The fear that these machines could act mercilessly is no longer pure fiction. Autonomous or semi-autonomous drones are already being used in conflicts to hunt, target and eliminate human opponents. While most drones and unmanned vehicles currently still require some degree of human control, the technology is evolving rapidly.

A 2020 United Nations report also revealed that the Turkish-made Kargu-2 combat drone was used autonomously in combat during a battle in Libya, marking a terrifying milestone in warfare.

Israel has also pushed the boundaries of drone warfare, launching an AI-controlled drone swarm to attack Hamas fighters in 2021. This technology allows multiple drones to operate as a single, integrated network controlled by artificial intelligence – a significant advancement for military operations.

NATO has acknowledged that while autonomous drones and robots cannot truly think for themselves, they are programmed with a variety of responses to different combat scenarios. According to a NATO report, the limiting factor is no longer the technology itself, but the political will to deploy such systems that would allow lethal machines to operate without direct human supervision.

Russia's own AI army

Putin has also gotten the message. Kyiv continues to suffer relentless attacks from Russian-controlled Shahed-136 drones, which originate from Iran. Russia has also reportedly deployed AI-powered combat drones such as the Kalashnikov ZALA and the Lancet, which have autonomous capabilities, including the ability to locate and destroy targets on their own.

And its engineers are increasingly turning to unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to change the course of war. These ground-based robots, which can carry weapons and explosives or provide reconnaissance, symbolise Russia's technological advances on the battlefield. Footage of battles circulating online shows Moscow piloting remote-controlled versions of old tanks loaded with explosives towards Ukrainian positions, reported The Daily Mail.

In addition to these rudimentary tank bombs, Russia is developing high-tech, self-driving UGVs like the Marker. This platform, equipped with AI and machine learning capabilities, has demonstrated the ability to move in controlled environments without human operators, according to Samuel Bendett, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

“The ultimate goal is for these systems to operate autonomously in combat, working seamlessly with human operators, drones and manned units in a networked environment,” Bendett said. The Daily Mail“But we are far from that.”

The stakes are high in this technological arms race. Previous Russian drone strikes near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear facility in western Ukraine have heightened concerns among Kiev authorities and civilians, who fear a repeat of last winter's attack on the country's energy grid.

Civil use

The civilian sector is not far behind. In February, the Russian daily Vedomosti reported a 55% increase in purchases of robot dogs and a 41% increase in purchases of robot assistants in Russia in 2023. These purchases were mostly low-cost consumer devices in the price range of 2,000-5,000 rubles ($20-55) equipped with microphones, video cameras, and built-in voice assistants. Many of these robots will be used for entertainment purposes, such as interacting with children or pets, and for remote communication and surveillance, not for firing weapons.

Nevertheless, military and artificial intelligence experts predict that the use of drones capable of identifying, selecting and attacking targets independently and without human intervention will continue to advance as the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on.