Specialists of the engineering forces of the combined arms army of the Western Military District began to master the management of the Uran-6 multifunctional robotic mine clearance system. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, classes are held at an interdepartmental training center in the Moscow region.
“Military engineers will test the new complex on various types of engineering ammunition, as well as for making passages in areas of continuous mining,” the ministry said in a statement.
The new robotic complex entered service with the combined arms army of the Western Military District in July this year. Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in 2020 the Russian troops will receive 22 modernized robotic mine clearance systems “Uran-6”.
“According to the state defense order, an industrial enterprise has already transferred a batch of 12 modernized complexes to the storage base in the Moscow Region, which will be sent to formations and units of the engineering forces of the Western and Southern military districts,” it was noted in May 2020 on the website of the defense department.
Sappers from metal
Uran-6 was developed by 766 UPTK OJSC (Nakhabino, Moscow Region). The device is a self-propelled radio-controlled mine trawl on a caterpillar track.
- Uranium-6 during operation
- © 766uptk.ru
It is intended for the clearance of urbanized areas, as well as mountainous and shallow areas. With its help, the military can conduct continuous cleaning of the area from explosive objects in remote control mode.
The machine withstands explosions with a capacity of up to 60 kg in TNT equivalent. Moreover, the range of the operator during the control of the robotic complex is up to 1 km. For remote control on "Uranus-6" there are four video cameras providing a circular view.
“The complex allows us to exclude the direct participation of a soldier in the course of carrying out tasks related to the risk to life, as well as with a sufficient degree of reliability, to ensure continuous clearance of the area from explosive objects, which significantly increases the capabilities of engineering units,” say the military.
According to experts, the possibility of remote clearance of mines significantly increases the safety of sappers and minimizes the risks to their lives.
“The use of robotic means in the armed forces is very relevant today, especially in situations where it can save lives: mine clearance, work in dangerous conditions, for example, with increased radiation or in an emergency building. As for Urana-6, this is already a well-established platform: they are coming into service, and they work with them not in the order of experiments, but on a regular basis, ”Dmitry Kornev, founder of MilitaryRussia portal, told RT.
The Uran-6 complex includes a four-axle KamAZ vehicle, which is necessary for transporting a six-ton sapper robot. The truck is equipped with a special platform with the "multilift" system: its design allows you to prepare the device for work in 3-4 minutes.
According to the developer, “one Uran-6 robot sapper per day is able to carry out the amount of work that a unit of 20 sappers could do.” It is noted that the car has already been successfully tested in Syria during the clearance of Palmyra.
Fire robots
Uranus is a whole family of machines. In addition to the “sixth” model, it also presents the multifunctional robotic fire-fighting complex “Uranus-14”. His tasks include the elimination of fires in conditions in which there is a threat to the life of firefighters. For example, when ammunition depots, military equipment, fuels and lubricants or structures with the threat of collapse are burning.
Using a video surveillance system in the optical and thermal imaging ranges, “Uran-14” can carry out reconnaissance of fires, including hidden ones. In addition, its design allows you to make passages in the rubble, as well as to raise and move dangerous and explosive loads weighing up to 1.5 tons or push objects weighing up to 4 tons using a grip.
- Uranus-14
- © 766uptk.ru
“The complex is simple and convenient to operate, unique in its efficiency and safety, which eliminates direct human contact with life-threatening temperatures in the fire fighting zone,” the website of the developer company says.
According to the creators, "Uran-14" is equipped with an automatic self-cooling system, which "allows you to extinguish a fire in the high temperature zone." At the same time, the armored body reliably protects the car from damage in the area of explosive objects.
The complex is equipped with water tanks for 2 thousand liters and a foaming agent with a capacity of 600 liters. It also provides the ability to connect an external water source.
Complexes "Uranus-14" have already been used in a "combat" environment. During a fire in an ammunition depot near Achinsk in the Krasnoyarsk Territory in August 2019, military engineers used them to "spill territory."
Battle Uranus
There is also a combat vehicle in the Uranus family - Uranus-9. It is equipped with a 30-mm automatic cannon 2A72, a 7.62-mm PKTM machine gun, the Ataka guided weapon system and RPM PDM-A Shmel-M rocket infantry flamethrower. In addition, he can put smoke screens.
The design of the machine is made on a modular basis, which allows you to change the composition of weapons depending on customer requirements.
According to the developers, “Uran-9” is intended for “conducting reconnaissance and fire support of advanced and reconnaissance units of combined-arms tactical units”.
Like its brethren, Uran-9 is remotely controlled from a distance of at least 1 km. In addition, he has the ability to automatically track targets.
- Uranus-9 on a loading platform
- © 766uptk.ru
“He can drive up under the fire of a sniper or enemy infantry, withstand hits from light small arms. “Uranus-9” is capable of using its fire means to suppress an enemy firing point, disable soldiers or simply conduct reconnaissance in a situation where it is dangerous to appear on the ground, ”Kornev explained.
Uranus-9 has already been tested in Syria. A special export version of the machine, Uran-9E, has also been developed. According to the Ministry of Defense, Russia has already received the first application for the purchase of this robotic complex.
According to experts, the machines of the Uranus family are completely controlled by humans, however, more autonomous systems will appear in the future - the corresponding work is already underway.
“The Uranus family of robots refers to remotely controlled machines. That is, the robot is part of complexes where there is a control panel and an operator. In the future, machines will appear that can perform some tasks autonomously. This also applies to flying unmanned vehicles. Developments related to artificial intelligence are underway in this area, ”said Kornev.
Recent trends in the military-technical sphere indicate that robots will increasingly be involved on the battlefield, the expert said.
“The development of robotics inevitably leads to the fact that conflicts will become more and more contactless, that is, without involving a person directly in hostilities. This is possible now: for example, when unmanned aircraft are used, the operator can be hundreds of kilometers from the battlefield. Gradually it will come to earth. Of course, at the same time, decision-making and control will remain with people, ”the analyst believes.
Candidate of Military Sciences Sergey Suvorov agrees with this point of view.
“Now robotics is moving forward very quickly thanks to the development of the element base. Previously, it was impossible to create such systems, because there were no such computer systems that would allow the development of artificial intelligence programs. Now these restrictions have disappeared, which determined the accelerated development of robotics, ”the specialist explained in an interview with RT.
Under these conditions, Russia is actively working on the development of its own robotic program, experts say.
“In Russia, more than a dozen programs are underway to create ground-based combat robots of various types. These are reconnaissance and suppression of firing points, mini-tanks and anti-tank systems, and mine clearance systems. Their scale varies from miniature devices to multi-ton machines. In some areas, we are at the world level, somewhere we are catching up. But work on robotics in Russia is now going on a wide front, ”concluded Kornev.