Drones and robots: Ukraine's new frontier in battlefield rescue
The war in Ukraine is the first modern conflict in decades where both sides have roughly comparable capabilities. The widespread use of drones, including those resilient to jamming, has made traditional methods of evacuating the injured very challenging, if not impossible. Here's how the Ukrainians are trying to manage.
The Ukrainians are attempting to counter the Russians' numerical advantage and their own shortages of personnel and equipment with various types of drones. In addition to strike models, transport versions have also been developed, which can ultimately be used for medical evacuation.
One of these instances was described by the Militarnyj portal, where soldiers from the 13th National Guard Brigade, somewhere north of Kharkiv, conducted the evacuation of an injured person using a remote-controlled rover. The evacuation route one way was 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 in which any detected vehicle is attacked. Civilian vehicles are defenceless, and vehicles like MRAPs or wheeled armoured personnel carriers BTR-4 or similar, which 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 systems now are like FPV drones in 2023, but much more complicated and not fully meeting the criteria for medical evacuation. Such a tool should be separate and not just a regular logistical means. This type of equipment is expected to do more and must be very well prepared."
Nonetheless, Mathematician points out that even in their current state, land robots play a crucial role in improving the chances of survival for military personnel and enhancing the overall combat effectiveness of the army. Each robot deployed on the battlefield has the potential to save a life—not only that of a wounded soldier, but also the lives of the entire evacuation team who would otherwise be exposed to danger while attempting a rescue.
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 pounds 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 thermal imaging and easier to conceal than a person or full-sized vehicle. It is no surprise that they are also used in critical situations for evacuating the wounded.
