Russia Parades Attack War-Robots for the First Time

WIB LAND April 23, 2018 Samuel Bendett

On April 18, 2018, Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the year’s military parade in Moscow, commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, will feature new and advanced weaponry.

He noted that for the first time ever, “the Uran-9 combat multifunctional robotic system, the Uran-6 multipurpose mine-clearance robotic vehicle and Korsar short-range drones” will appear along with other land and air weapons.

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This announcement is momentous. Victory Day parades are back in fashion in Russia after a brief hiatus from the annual military pageantry of the Soviet days. The parades display new and old weaponry, from World War II-vintage tanks to the latest combat vehicles, missiles and warplanes.

It was probably just a matter of time before the Russians started showing off their unmanned military systems.

Over the past several years, Russian Federation has made great strides in developing a wide variety of aerial, ground and sea drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles have seen extensive use in Russian operations. A growing number of unarmed ground vehicles handle demining and surveillance missions.

That’s why Russia’s decision to display these particular unmanned systems is so interesting. Of the three vehicles Shoigu named, only the unarmed Uran-6 has seen actual operational use, most notably in Syria.