The Russian Ministry of Defense conducted an exercise that used an airmobile group of robots. The new "Uran-6" robot-sapper and "Uran-14" fire-fighter robot were engaged in demining a conventional ammunition warehouse, and also extinguished a fire there. The exercises were of a research nature. According to representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the purpose of the exercises was to find out how much money, effort and time will be needed to alert this airmobile group and whether it is possible to put this group on alert as part of the calculations of the National Center for Defense Control of Russia.
The first stage of research exercises using an airmobile group of robotic systems began on October 24, 2014. According to the plan of the organizers of the exercises, the robotic group as part of the Uran-6 demining complex and the Uran-14 fire extinguishing complex operated in an area with a high risk of detonating various artillery ammunition in places of raging fires. The two robots operated in parallel with each other. The exercises were held in the Moscow region under the guidance of specialists from the Main Directorate of Research Activities and Technological Support of Advanced Technologies of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
It is important to understand that anti-tank and anti-personnel mines are the type of weapon that can make itself known a decade later, after the artillery volleys have died down and the ink has dried on the concluded peace treaties. Given this fact, there is practically no peacetime for sappers who are focused on mine clearance. The earth today is flavored not only with the huge number of mines left behind by recent conflicts, but also with a large number of deadly "gifts" since the Second World War. At the same time, one of the trends in modern military science is the creation of unmanned equipment and systems, the engineering troops need such equipment in the first place. And for the Russian sappers who work in the Caucasus, such equipment is doubly necessary.
The newest Russian robotic demining complex is Uran-6, which was created by OJSC 766 UPTK (Department of production and technological equipment, Moscow region). This sapper complex has already passed acceptance tests in Chechnya - in the Sunzhensky region. Here the robotic complex "Uran-6" was engaged in the continuous cleaning of forests and agricultural land from a variety of explosives.
The new "Uran-6" robot sapper is a tracked self-propelled radio-controlled mine sweep. Depending on the tasks assigned to the complex, up to 5 different trawls, as well as bulldozer dumps, can be installed on it. The operator can control the complex at a distance of up to 1000 meters (the device has 4 video cameras that provide an all-round view). The Uran-6 robotic sapper complex is capable of detecting, identifying and, on command, destroying any explosive object, the power of which does not exceed 60 kg in TNT equivalent. At the same time, the robot ensures complete safety of personnel. The Uran-6 ammunition found on the ground is neutralized either by destroying them by physical means, or by activating them.
The general director of the enterprise 766 UPTK Dmitry Ostapchuk told the journalists about the technical features of the tested equipment. According to him, the new robotic complex "Uran-6" is intended for demining urbanized areas, as well as mountainous and small-wooded areas. This complex can be equipped with five different interchangeable tools: striker, roller and milling trawls, as well as a dozer blade and a mechanical gripper. Several types of trawl are used to provide the ability to work with different types of soil. For example, a striker trawl is used on soft types of soil, a roller trawl is used on hard surfaces. Moving on flat terrain, the Uran-6 robot sapper can mine at a speed of up to 3 km / h, and on rocky terrain, its speed is reduced to 0.5 km / h.
During the tests, which were carried out in Nikolo-Uryupino near Moscow, the Uran-6 complex, equipped with a roller trawl, was presented. This tool was a set of heavy rolls mounted on an axle, which rolled along the surface of the earth in front of the sapper robot. The hook trawl works differently. It is arranged as follows: strikers are unrolled on the shaft on special chains, which develop a speed of up to 600-700 rpm and thresh on the ground, literally plowing the ground to a depth of 35 cm. And the third type of trawl - milling trawl - has a distant resemblance to a cultivator. At the same time, the purpose of all these devices is the same - to destroy an explosive device found on the ground or bring it to detonation. At the same time, the "Uran-6" robot sapper is designed in such a way that quite strong explosions can constantly thunder right in front of it. The robot is armored, and its tools are able to withstand the detonation of explosive devices with a capacity of up to 60 kg in TNT equivalent.
The weight of the armored sapper robot is rather big - about 6-7 tons, depending on the configuration. At the same time, the robot is equipped with a 190-horsepower engine, which provides it with a sufficiently high power density - about 32-37 hp. per ton. A sapper robot with a height of 1.4 meters is able to overcome obstacles up to 1.2 meters high.
If we talk about the results of field tests of the robot, then according to the press service of the Southern Military District (YuVO), they can be considered successful. From the end of July to the end of August 2014, the Uran-6 robot sapper managed to clear about 80 thousand square meters of agricultural land, destroying about 50 explosive objects. During this time, no breakdowns or failures in the operation of the complex were recorded. Also, calculations were made, which showed that one robot-sapper "Uran-6" per day is able to perform the amount of work that could be done by a unit of 20 sappers.
Military engineers working in the Chechen Republic have already appreciated the new Uran-6 robotic complex. The new sapper robot is equipped with a variety of mine trawls, but its main feature is the availability of equipment that allows not only finding and neutralizing all types of existing ammunition, but also correctly identifying them. Thanks to this capability, Uran-6 can distinguish an artillery shell from an air bomb or anti-tank mine.
The place of trial operation of the novelty in Chechnya has become, among other things, the high-mountainous area located in the Vedeno region of the republic (at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level). There are still minefields, which are difficult to neutralize using ordinary engineering means. At the same time, due to its weight (under 6 tons and above), this sapper robot was thrown into the mountains using a heavy Mi-26 transport helicopter.
If this robotic complex proves itself well in a variety of natural conditions, Russian generals will raise the issue of starting its serial production in the interests of the RF Armed Forces. Previously, analogues of such demining complexes were used by the Russian Emergencies Ministry, but the Russian army did not yet have such complexes. In the event that serial production of these sapper robots is launched in Russia by the end of this year, the first batches will begin to enter service with the Southern Military District at the beginning of 2015.
