Ukraine leverages robotic dogs for reconnaissance, combat

Ryan Robertson

ROBOTIC DOGS ARE NOW ON THE BATTLEFIELD IN UKRAINE, BRINGING ANOTHER FUTURISTIC TWIST TO MODERN WARFARE. DEVELOPED BY THE BRITISH COMPANY BRIT ALLIANCE, THERE ARE OVER 30 OF THESE “ROBO-FIDOS” BEING USED AS PART OF UKRAINE’S EFFORTS TO INCORPORATE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY INTO ITS FIGHT AGAINST RUSSIA.

EQUIPPED WITH THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS AND REMOTE-SENSING TECHNOLOGY, THE BAD-2 UNITS WON’T BE SETTING ANY RECORDS AT THE TRACK, BUT THEY CAN STILL MOVE AT ABOUT 9 MPH FOR UP TO FIVE HOURS, WHILE CARRYING MORE THAN 15 POUNDS OF EQUIPMENT OR AMMUNITION.

WHILE THESE ROBOTIC DOGS WERE INITIALLY DESIGNED FOR LOGISTICAL SUPPORT AND RECONNAISSANCE, UKRAINIAN COMMANDERS ARE HINTING AT PLANS TO UPGRADE THEM FOR MORE AGGRESSIVE ROLES, SUCH AS EXECUTING “KAMIKAZE” ATTACKS ON RUSSIAN POSITIONS AND VEHICLES.

AND OF COURSE THERE ARE MORE OPTIONS–LIKE PUTTING FLAMETHROWERS ON THE THINGS.

THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES ARE ALREADY USING FLAME-DROPPING AERIAL DRONES IN THEIR ATTACKS AGAINST RUSSIAN POSITIONS, AND AN OHIO-BASED COMPANY, THROWFLAME, SPECIALIZES IN A SIMILAR MODEL OF ROBO-DOG…THE THERMONATOR, WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH A FLAMETHROWER.

ALTHOUGH THE THERMONATOR WAS ORIGINALLY MARKETED FOR INDUSTRIAL USES SUCH AS WILDFIRE CONTROL, ITS POTENTIAL PARALLELS TO MILITARY APPLICATIONS ARE DRAWING ATTENTION.

PRICED SIMILARLY AT AROUND $10,000, THE THERMONATOR DRAWS CLEAR PARALLELS TO THE BRIT ALLIANCE MODELS, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE DEVELOPED BY DIFFERENT COMPANIES FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES.

AS UKRAINE CONTINUES TO INNOVATE ON THE BATTLEFIELD, THESE AGILE MACHINES WILL LIKELY PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN BOTH LOGISTICAL SUPPORT AND DIRECT COMBAT….LIKE MANY OF THE OTHER SEMI-AUTONOMOUS DEVICES MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY ARE PART OF A LARGER TREND TOWARD INCREASED USE OF UNMANNED TECHNOLOGIES IN MODERN WARFARE.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON