The Ukrainian military has reinforced one of its frontline units with domestically-made Sirko-S1 unmanned ground vehicles (UGV).
The Azov Brigade, which is said to be at the heart of fighting in Donbas, recently received the Skylab-manufactured ground drone to take on a variety of support roles.
It can be used to transport up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of cargo, including ammunition, food, medicines, and other military equipment.
The UGV can also evacuate wounded soldiers, keeping Ukrainian medical personnel out of open positions.
Additionally, the Sirko-S1 can perform reconnaissance missions, thanks to its thermal imager, laser rangefinder, and high-resolution camera.
Additional Features
The Skylab UGV has an electric drive for all four wheels, enabling a very low sound signature for covert operations.
It also has an encrypted communication system to ensure jam-resistant controls and surveillance capability.
The cutting-edge platform can travel up to 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) under extreme operating conditions.
It was also made with open systems architecture to enable seamless integration of new systems.
The robot reportedly took six months to build.
Expediting UGV Deployment
The deployment of the Sirko-S1 UGV comes as the Ukrainian government seeks to expedite the development and fielding of military robotic platforms.
Recently, the Ministry of Strategic Industries conducted demonstration trials of nine new UGVs from seven local manufacturers.
Most of the participating products were built for evacuating the wounded while keeping operators at a safe distance.
“Robotic systems are the solution that can save the life of a wounded person, shorten the evacuation time, and preserve combat effectiveness of the unit under any conditions,” Medical Service official Ihor Shcherbakov said.