Here’s the fighting robot that could enter the battlefield in Ukraine next year
‘The Phantom’ can cover 81 miles and its receiver can resist being jammed or hacked
By Daniel Brown
A new fighting robot called the Phantom might be deployed on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine next year, according to Defense One.
Ukroboronprom, the Ukrainian defence contractor developing the robot, displayed the robot at the Association of the US Army show in Washington DC on Monday, Defense One reported.
The Phantom can be fitted with tracks or wheels, as well as a wide variety of weapons, including a coaxial 23 mm machine gun, antitank missiles, and grenade launchers, according to Ukroboronprom.
It runs on a 30 kilowatt hybrid engine that can hit speeds of up to 37 mph, and it can cover a maximum distance of about 81 miles, Ukroboronprom said. It is even capable of evacuating wounded soldiers from the field.
The Phantom also has a backup microwave-communication link that allows it to function even if its receiver is jammed or hacked, Defense One reported. This feature was specifically designed to counter Russian electronic-warfare attacks that have plagued Ukrainian forces, especially in the early days of the war.