Ukraine's robot medics: Innovation under fire in drone war
The war in Ukraine is the first modern conflict in decades where both sides have roughly comparable potential. The mass use of drones, including those resistant to jammers, has made conventional methods of evacuating the wounded increasingly problematic, if not impossible. Here's how the Ukrainians are trying to cope.
The Ukrainians are attempting to counter the numerical advantage of the Russians and address their own shortages of personnel and equipment with various types of drones. In addition to strike drones, transport versions have also been developed, which can be used for medical transport.
One instance was described by the Militarnyj portal, where soldiers from the 13th National Guard Brigade, somewhere north of Kharkiv, conducted the evacuation of a wounded person using a remote-controlled rover. The evacuation route one way was approximately 11 kilometres, which unfortunately is the norm due to FPV drones controlled by deployed fibre optics with a range of 14 to 19 kilometres.
They create a death zone where any detected vehicle is attacked. Civilian vehicles are defenceless, and vehicles like MRAPs or wheeled armoured personnel carriers BTR-4 or similar that can survive FPV drone hits are becoming less numerous and more valuable.
Robots as transport for the wounded — Necessary but unproven desperation
As stated in an interview for Militarnyj by a soldier with the codename "Mathematician," head of the NRC Brigade "Karta," robots are a last resort. "In my opinion and according to many colleagues, evacuating the wounded using remotely controlled robots is a last resort. This means that if there are safer options, we do not use robots. It's still not the highest level of reliability. Every time such a mission is carried out, everyone is as focused and stressed as possible."
"In my opinion, robotic complexes now are like FPV drones in 2023, but much more complicated and not fully meeting the criteria for sanitary evacuation. Such a tool should be separate and not just a regular logistics means. This type of equipment is expected to do more and must be very well prepared."
Nonetheless, "Mathematician" highlights that even in their current state, land robots significantly increase the chances of military survival and enhance the army's combat capabilities. "Every robot on the battlefield can potentially save a life. In this case, a saved life is not only the soldier who was wounded but also the entire evacuation group risking their own lives to save the wounded."
Land robots in Ukraine
The Ukrainians received Estonian THeMIS robots, which inspired the creation of simpler rovers capable of carrying dozens or even hundreds of kilograms of cargo over a distance of 10 kilometres or more.
Communication with the control station is carried out via deployed fibre optics, often protected from mud by an empty water bottle. This is the simplest method to ensure communication resistant to electronic warfare systems, because the only way to stop such a drone or rover is by physically destroying it.
The rover allows for discreet movement of supplies from a logistics point to a point of resistance because it is less visible in thermography and easier to hide than a person or full-sized vehicle. It is no surprise that they are also used in critical situations for evacuating the wounded.
