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Russo-Ukrainian war is characterized by the frequent use of unmanned weapons, such as unmanned aerial vehicles and even robots. For example, the defenders of Ukraine are using a small wheeled drone to carry injured soldiers nice and low to the ground. Drones are also delivering supplies, carrying out reconnaissance missions and, of course, conducting strikes.
Now Ukraine has a new ground drone, which is simple but also functional enough that it could be very useful in many military scenarios.
Ukraine is looking for new ways to destroy Russian armour and personnel. Drones are probably the most versatile in this regard. Image credit: Armyinform.com.ua via Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0)
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology – Minister for Digital Transformation (strange title, we know), announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are now using a new robot Ratel S.
Essentially, it is just a wheeled kamikaze robot, which is designed to roll towards the target and explode next to it or under it. It works very similarly to remote-controlled cars – the ones you played with in your childhood. And it’s a good thing, because it means that it can be produced at a relatively low cost.
In the demo video, the Ratel S is seen attacking a small unarmoured van. The target, as unimpressive as you may consider it, was completely obliterated – literally nothing was left out of a small white car:
Ukraine field tested a new ground kamikaze drone ‘Ratel S’. It has a maximum speed of up to 24 km/h, a 6 km operational range, and can work for 2 hours without recharging. pic.twitter.com/w1fEnxc0XQ
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) October 24, 2023
It is difficult to say if the Ratel S drone would fare well against armoured targets, but it probably could do a lot of damage. It is definitely powerful enough to at least immobilize an infantry fighting vehicle or an armoured personnel transporter.
In the pictures posted online, you can see two mortar bombs, possibly 80 mm ones, strapped to a wheeled chassis. If this is really the charge of the Ratel S, it might be enough to damage a tank. It is also a great way to put explosives on a remotely powered robot. Aerial drones in Ukraine are also sometimes dropping mortar mines as they are cheap and still quite plentiful.
🇺🇦 Ukraine launches serial production of the Ratel S kamikaze combat robot, – Fedorov
👀 Speed: 24 km/h;
👀 Range: 6 km;
👀 Activity: up to 2 hours. pic.twitter.com/CkcFFvZNWu— MAKS 23 👀🇺🇦 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) October 24, 2023
It was said that the Ratel S can reach a speed of 24 kph and has battery endurance for about 2 hours. It means that it doesn’t have to choose the straightest path towards the target. It also can be sent out to wait in an ambush of sorts. Its range is about 6 km and it transmits video feedback to the operator.
Because the Ratel S is relatively small, one can imagine soldiers releasing them from the trenches. In the demo video, one can be seen controlled with a standard DJI controller.
There is no information about how many Ratel S robots there are or how many Ukraine is going to produce. They are relatively cheap, but there is definitely one disadvantage – being so small the Ratel S cannot be expected to be very good off-road. Those small wheels will struggle in tall grass, dirt, or snow.
Written by Povilas M.
Source: NOELreports Twitter
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