Autonomous weaponry, also called remotely controlled weaponry, has already had a major role in Ukraine's ongoing war against Russia. The former has relied on drones for its defensive and offensive efforts against the latter.
But adding these robot dogs to the Armed Forces of Ukraine may offer more opportunities for reconnaissance in tough terrain. The robot dogs could also give Kyiv a potential edge over Moscow during ground operations.
In one video shared on X by UkraineNewsLive, a drone can be seen dropping a "combat robot scout" in a field at an undisclosed location. The drone then gets up and starts walking.
In another video also posted by the Khortytsia unit of Ukraine's armed forces in early September, a robot dog can be seen with a Ukrainian soldier, who then uses the robot's thermal imaging camera for surveillance in a wooded area.
The two posts revealed that the robot dogs belong to the Ukrainian combat unit called "Medoid," or Honey Badger. Khortytsia's post also claimed that it was "successfully thinning the ranks of the occupiers in the east of Ukraine." (Related: Ukraine escalates long-range strikes, sends drones to attack Russian military air base.)
Kyiv first announced the remote-controlled robot dogs back in August, when the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian 28th Mechanized Brigade shared a video of a robot dog patrolling a heavily damaged town.
The official page of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine also posted on X, and the commander of the 28th Mechanized Brigade said: "Such a dog should be in every unit."
The German newspaper Bild reported that the robot dogs were developed by Brit Alliance, a British risk-management company and drone manufacturer. The company has sent more than 30 robot dogs to Ukraine.
Each unit costs around $9,000 to produce, and the company has promised to update the units based on feedback from the Ukrainian troops using them.
Brit Alliance said the robot dogs "demonstrated their capabilities in delivering a range of critical equipment, showcasing their potential as an invaluable asset to military units." The company said the robot dogs could navigate through debris, climb over obstacles, or move stealthily across open ground.
The British second-generation Brit Alliance Dog, or BAD2, is equipped with remote-sensing technology and a thermal-infrared camera to navigate and perform various wartime tasks, such as delivering equipment or reconnaissance.
Kyle Thorburn, the company's managing director, said that Brit Alliance was "concerned about the increasingly frequent reports of losses on the front line by enemy drones" and that they developed the robot dogs for a "safer solution for reconnaissance missions in high-risk zones."
Visit WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Watch the video below to learn how Ukrainian drone attacks on a Russian ammo depot triggered a major war escalation.
This video is from the TNTVNEWS channel on Brighteon.com.
IAEA blames Ukraine for drone strike at Kursk nuclear power plant, warns of “nuclear incident” risk.
Russia launches over 200 drones and missiles targeting critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
Silver lining: War with Russia is making Ukraine a world leader in AUTONOMOUS DRONE technology.
Military analyst: Zelensky established drone unit in Ukrainian Armed Forces to SWINDLE MORE MONEY.
Sources include: