The Ministry of Defense has approved for use in the Defense Forces of Ukraine a new Ukrainian‑made strike‑reconnaissance ground robotic system, the Zmiy Droid 12.7. It is designed to perform a wide range of military tasks in conditions of high‑intensity combat.
The Zmiy Droid 12.7 ground robotic complex was developed by engineers from two Ukrainian defense companies with extensive experience in manufacturing and deploying ground platforms in high‑intensity warfare. The system is built on the battle‑proven Zmiy platform and is equipped with the remotely operated Wolly combat module featuring a 12.7‑mm machine gun.
The ground platform has high cross‑country capability and can traverse difficult off‑road terrain, sand, snow, and shallow water obstacles. Its hull is armored, provides protection against anti‑personnel mines, and can withstand hits from several FPV drones.
A key feature of the Zmiy Droid 12.7 ground robotic complex is its control module, which allows the operator to control both the platform and the combat module simultaneously. This reduces decision‑making time on the battlefield. The combat module is equipped with artificial intelligence systems capable of acquiring and tracking targets automatically.
Such strike ground robotic systems have proven effective in modern warfare. Documented cases include the destruction of a Russian MT‑LB multipurpose lightly armored tracked vehicle using the Droid TW 12.7 reconnaissance‑strike robotic complex. Another successful example of combat use was the holding of a firing position for 45 consecutive days. During this mission, the robotic system returned to the crew once every two days for only a few hours for maintenance, ammunition replenishment, and battery recharging.
The main task of such ground robotic complexes is to replace soldiers on the battlefield in areas with the highest risk of enemy fire.
