AFU scale up military innovations: robotic platforms and drone countermeasures systems
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are actively developing advanced technologies to increase the effectiveness of troops and reduce the burden on service members. This includes scaling up unmanned and robotic systems, as well as the use of exoskeletons for infantry.
This was announced during a briefing at Ukrinform by the head of the Central Directorate for Innovation Activity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Vitalii Dobrianskyi, and an officer of the media relations department of the Public Relations Directorate of the Main Directorate of Communications of the AFU, Major Andrii Kovalov, a Censor.NET correspondent reports.
Robots and drones are becoming a systemic element of war
The modern battlefield is increasingly focused on unmanned weapon technologies. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Digital Transformation, are working on the development of air defense systems, solutions to counter strike drones, and increasing the autonomy of combat systems.
Ideas that only a few years ago existed as concepts are now actively being applied in practice.
In particular, Ukrainian forces have deployed systemic solutions for intercepting enemy drones, including the training of specialized units, the development of information and location systems, and the supply of the necessary equipment to troops.
Over the past 15 months, the number of units in the Armed Forces that operate ground robotic platforms has also increased significantly. These systems are used on the front line to perform various tasks, primarily to support assault operations, transport cargo, evacuate the wounded, and conduct reconnaissance.
One such robotic system even helped evacuate two Ukrainian soldiers who, instead of the planned two months, had remained at their position for about 150–180 days, Andrii Kovalov noted.
Equipment testing conducted in Ukraine
The Armed Forces currently have no agreements with international partners to test new weapon systems abroad. Most testing is conducted directly in Ukraine.
For this purpose, special testing grounds, infrastructure for experiments, and experimental combat units are being created to test equipment in real combat conditions. This approach makes it possible to promptly verify the effectiveness of new technologies and quickly introduce changes to their design.
The military also organizes demonstrations of new developments at training grounds for potential users and military units.
At the same time, the AFU actively cooperates with Ukrainian manufacturers, who receive direct feedback from troops on the front line. One of the key factors driving innovation is the direct combat experience gained by Ukrainian soldiers during the full-scale war.
Unlike many armies in the world that have modern developments but do not use them in real combat conditions, Ukraine is forced to rapidly implement technologies on the battlefield, the briefing said.
At the same time, the enemy is also actively analyzing Ukraine’s experience and trying to scale similar solutions within its own forces.
That is why a new ecosystem of military innovation is being formed in Ukraine, in which developers, manufacturers and combat units closely cooperate with one another. This interaction creates horizontal links between the military and engineers, significantly accelerating the introduction of new technologies in the Armed Forces.
