Russia is unlikely to field ground combat robots to Ukraine in large numbers, said Sam Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and an adviser at the CNA Corporation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt appears that most of the existing Markers, 3 out of 5, will in fact be tested in Ukraine, and can be lost in combat,\u201d Bendett said via email. \u201cIt also appears that Android Technology is actually ok with that, indicating a willingness to respond to the [Ministry of Defense] needs for improved weapons and tactics, and perhaps indicating that the company is working on other projects that can build on the Marker experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
How well would a Russian robot perform against a well-trained human tank crew? On Twitter, Bendett\u00a0expressed\u00a0<\/a>skepticism, calling the announcement mostly a PR stunt.<\/p>\n \u201cPrevious Marker tests – at least those made public – were against small UAVs, and these [unmanned ground vehicles, or UGVs] conducted tests for orienting in a complex space like a forest, but not an actual battlefield where multiple countermeasures are trying to destroy the vehicle. Moreover, Western tanks will be part of combined arms formations with aerial support like drones and UAVs, which are going to hunt for any Russian target, including the likes of Marker ground vehicles. Rogozin’s earlier claims of Marker as a recon UGV were more realistic.\u201d<\/p>\n UGV makers, like most Russian technology firms, are somewhat hampered by Western efforts to stop the flow of computer components to Russia. But these sanctions have had uneven effects, according to a\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0out this week from the Silverado Policy Accelerator.<\/p>\n Android\u2019s CEO Evgeny Dudorov said last month that technology sanctions have had little impact on his company\u2019s ability to score key component parts, according to Bendett.<\/p>\n \u201cDudorov thinks that investments from the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade will allow the domestic robotics industry to catch up with the leading players in about 1.5-2 years, and fully align with the market leaders in 10-12 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Bendett called Dudorov\u2019s assessment \u201coptimistic\u201d given \u201cthe continued reliance of the Russian high-tech sector on imported components. Dudorov\u2019s FEDOR robot was in fact\u00a0almost 80%<\/a>\u00a0made from imported parts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n