LUGANSK, August 20. /TASS/. Russian servicemen have developed a cheap ground drone, capable of machine gun and grenade launcher fire and ammunition delivery. The drone has already proven itself at the contact line as being tough to spot from the air and difficult to jam by electronic warfare systems, says head of the "Lynx" special operations team’s advanced designs division, call sign Tanchik.
The drone is a four-wheel remotely controlled platform that can be used to affix either cargo or munitions.
"[This vehicle] is lighter, which increases its off-road capabilities - the lighter the vehicle is, the easier it overcomes various obstacles. It is much cheaper, because the metal is thinner here, making it cheaper, and the wheels are cheaper as well. It does its job; it is not as expensive to send it one-way as more expensive vehicles," Tanchik said.
He specified that the division assembles its automated systems using parts from consumer-grade self-balancing scooters - the engineers utilize their control elements and wheels. These platforms can carry up to 20 kg to a distance of up to 2 km, and its battery lasts for about an hour. Its price is comparable to that of a cheap FPV drone.
These vehicles come in several types, depending on their purpose; in particular, the "Mashenka" drone can carry cargo - ammunition and food - or can bring anti-tank mines behind enemy lines, if necessary, while the "Tanyusha" drone can take a machine gun into an enemy trench. These robots have already proved effective on the ground: they are hard to see during drone reconnaissance, and are resistant to jamming, being so close to the ground. If used properly, in conjunction with artillery and UAVs, they can clear out an enemy trench on their own, without subjecting assault teams to any physical risk.
According to the team’s commander, call sign Ilim, this technology is being sought out by other Armed Forces units; in particular, the division’s jammers and electronic warfare systems, assembled by the team’s engineers, are being used at the frontline in Donbass and Novorossiya, successfully combating enemy drones. In addition, the team assembles its own aerial drones, tailored to specific tasks at each swath of the frontline.