A Ukrainian manufacturer developed a roving turret with dual Kalashnikov rifles to create a cheaper ground drone for the front lines.
A Ukrainian manufacturer developed a roving turret equipped with two Kalashnikov assault rifles as its main armament. This uncrewed ground vehicle was recently used by the Security Service of Ukraine's Alpha Group special forces to destroy a Russian ambush drone.
Show the rest of this summary
Brave1, the country's defense tech incubator, stated that the Kalashnikov was chosen because it is the most widely available small arm across military units. Using this design allowed forces to rapidly scale the drones on the front lines. The turret features two rifles mounted on a pan-and-tilt gimbal on a four-wheeled platform. Each rifle was modified behind the grip and trigger guard to remotely receive fire commands. Brave1 noted that the current design still requires a soldier nearby to manually reload the rifles with box magazines and rack the bolts. The development of this drone highlights a Ukrainian effort to build cheaper, simpler systems to reduce risks to infantry. More than five Ukrainian units are currently operationally testing the drone.