Revolutionary UGV for Urban Environments Unveiled

Revolutionary UGV for Urban Environments Unveiled

UGV

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A new remotely operated mini tactical unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is developed by SpetsTechnoExport, Ukraine’s state-owned enterprise engaged in armament. The Phantom vehicle is intended to perform a variety of tasks in complex urban environments: combat, reconnaissance, ammunition transportation to forward operating bases, and evacuation of wounded soldiers from the battlefield.

SpetsTechnoExport demonstrated combat capabilities of their development to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, and the National Security and Defense of Ukraine in December 2016. The demonstration was made under freezing rain conditions at Honcharivske proving ground in Chernihiv region located in the northern part of the country.

The demonstration involved evaluation of the Phantom’s capabilities, including information gathering, target recognition and destruction with a 12.7mm machine gun. Based on 6×6 all-wheel drive chassis, the Phantom UGV can carry two injured soldiers or payloads weighing up to 350kg. It has a length of 3m, a width of 1.6m and a height of 0.91m.

The vehicle is remotely operated using a laptop with user control panel at the control station which also includes two wide-screen monitors . The operator transmits commands such as guidance, navigation, obstacle avoidance and control to the vehicle through a 5km-long fibre cable or a secure radio link within a distance of 10km.

The Phantom tactical robot is armed with a single 12.7mm x 108mm heavy machine gun fitted to a roof-mounted, remote-controlled turret. The machine gun is effective against lightly armored ground-based vehicles, unarmoured vehicles, helicopters, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The UGV also carries four container-launched barrier anti-tank guided missiles at the rear. Weighing approximately 16kg, the Barrier anti-tank missile system can engage armoured fighting vehicles equipped with protection systems such as composite armour, active protection system, spaced armour, and explosive reactive armour (ERA). Five smoke grenade launchers are fitted in the forward section of the vehicle to provide self-defence for the UGV. Each weapon is provided with a separate observation and sighting system which allows the weapons to perform precise firings against targets over a distance of 1km.

Powered by a 30kw hybrid engine, the UGV can attain a maximum speed of 38km/h and travel to a distance of up to 20km. Independent suspension is provided on all wheels to deliver high mobility on cross-country terrains. The UGV also features a hydraulic brake system to ensure a smoother ride and better control in difficult terrain conditions.