![Ukraine’s newest weapon is ready to roll. Called the Ratel S, or Honey Badger, it’s a kamikaze ground drone that doesn’t give a [darn].](https://san.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CLEAN-Ukraine-deploys-mine-hauling-Honey-Badger-against-Russia_Custom_featuredImage_Wed-Oct-25-2023.jpg?w=1920)
Ukraine’s newest Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) is ready for full production. It’s called the Ratel S, or Honey Badger. It’s a kamikaze ground drone, and it doesn’t give a [darn].
The Honey Badger was developed by Ukraine’s Brave1 military tech cluster. The cluster is a collaborative project between Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Ministry of Economy.
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The UGV is also a member in Ukraine’s Army of Drones initiative. That’s the same initiative which modified aerial drones to drop Russian anti-tank mines on top of their former owners.
With this latest achievement unlocked, Ukraine’s Armed Forces will employ the same “return to sender” mindset, but now through a ground delivery service.
Officially, the Ratel S is described as a first-person view, or FPV, electric four-wheel drive vehicle. Its top speed is around 15 miles per hour, and its battery is good for about two hours.
The Honey Badger can traverse obstacles up to about 10 inches, all while carrying a payload of about 220 pounds. Ukraine’s Armed Forces call it a mobile warhead because it can carry anti-tank mines, mortars, bombs, or other explosives right up to enemy positions and detonate.
The Honey Badger is piloted in a similar fashion to other drones by humans using goggles and a control unit from a safe distance. The Honey Badger is paired with aerial drones to monitor its progress. Those aerial drones can also be outfitted with signal repeaters to increase the range of the Honey Badger on the ground as well.
The Honey Badger doesn’t care much about electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures. Brave1 said it was made to withstand EW attacks. Many of the other exact details and capabilities of the Honey Badger are kept confidential, but we do know it was a bit of an eager beaver to get to the battlefield.
The Honey Badger was first revealed in May. It appeared on a Ukrainian television news program in September and went into full production in October after completing the required field tests.
Ukraine said it’s taking steps to start producing hundreds of Honey Badgers every month. The Brave1 tech cluster is also looking into further modifying the platform. Future concepts include using the UGV in mining operations, to perform reconnaissance missions, ammunition support and other tasks.
“Brave1 serves as a unified platform for collaboration between defense-tech companies, the state, the military, investors, volunteer funds, the media and all those contributing to advancing victory through technology,” said Ukraine’s Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
The minds at Brave1 were also responsible for Ukraine’s new thermal invisibility cloak. The cloak absorbs heat and will hide its wearer from thermal imaging scanners used by enemy forces.
MEET UKRAINE’S NEWEST UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE. IT’S CALLED THE RATEL, OR HONEY BADGER. IT’S A KAMIKAZE GROUND DRONE, AND IT DOESN’T GIVE A DARN. IT DOESN’T GIVE A DARN.
THE HONEY BADGER WAS DEVELOPED BY UKRAINE’S BRAVE 1 MILITARY TECH CLUSTER AND IS A PART OF THE ARMY OF DRONES INITIATIVE. THAT’S THE SAME INITIATIVE WHICH MODIFIED AERIAL DRONES TO DROP RUSSIAN ANTI-TANK MINES ON TOP OF THEIR FORMER OWNERS.
WITH THIS LATEST ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED, UKRAINE WILL EMPLOY THE SAME RETURN TO SENDER MIND-SET, BUT NOW THROUGH A GROUND DELIVERY SERVICE. OFFICIALLY, THE RATEL IS DESCRIBED AS A FIRST-PERSON VIEW, OR FPV, ELECTRIC FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE.
ITS TOP SPEED IS AROUND 15 MILES PER HOUR, AND ITS BATTERY IS GOOD FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS. THE HONEY BADGER CAN TRAVERSE OBSTACLES UP TO ABOUT 10 INCHES, ALL WHILE CARRYING A PAYLOAD OF ABOUT 220 POUNDS. UKRAINE’S ARMED FORCES CALL IT A MOBILE WARHEAD, BECAUSE IT CAN CARRY ANTI-TANK MINES, MORTARS, BOMBS, OR OTHER EXPLOSIVES RIGHT UP TO ENEMY POSITIONS AND DETONATE.
THE HONEY BADGER IS PILOTED IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO OTHER DRONES, BY HUMANS USING GOGGLES AND A CONTROL UNIT FROM A SAFE DISTANCE. THE HONEY BADGER IS PAIRED WITH AERIAL DRONES TO MONITOR ITS PROGRESS. THOSE AERIAL DRONES CAN ALSO BE OUTFITTED WITH SIGNAL REPEATERS TO INCREASE THE RANGE OF THE HONEY BADGER ON THE GROUND AS WELL.
THE HONEY BADGER DOESN’T CARE MUCH ABOUT ELECTRONIC WARFARE COUNTERMEASURES. BRAVE1 SAYS IT WAS MADE TO WITHSTAND EW ATTACKS. MANY OF THE OTHER EXACT DETAILS AND CAPABILITIES OF THE HONEY BADGER ARE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL, BUT WE DO KNOW IT WAS A BIT OF AN EAGER BEAVER TO GET TO THE BATTLEFIELD.
THE HONEY BADGER WAS FIRST REVEALED IN MAY. IT APPEARED ON UKRAINIAN TV IN SEPTEMBER, AND WENT INTO FULL PRODUCTION IN OCTOBER AFTER COMPLETING THE REQUIRED FIELD TESTS. JUST LOOK AT IT GO
UKRAINE SAID IT’S TAKING STEPS TO START PRODUCING HUNDREDS OF HONEY BADGERS EVERY MONTH. THE BRAVE1 TECH CLUSTER IS ALSO LOOKING INTO FURTHER MODIFYING THE PLATFORM, LIKE THIS CONCEPT WHICH ENVISIONS USING THE UGV IN MINING OPERATIONS.
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