Kathrine Frich
It started with a glitch and ended stuck in the mud.
Military leaders constantly dream of the perfect autonomous weapon.
They pour massive resources into advanced robotics to keep soldiers out of harm’s way, hoping to build an unstoppable digital army.
But sometimes, nature quickly humbles even the most expensive designs.
A rocky debut
Russian defense engineers recently attempted to showcase their latest automated marvel.
They brought the highly anticipated unmanned “Shturm” tank to the Tsentr 26 military exercises over the weekend. The massive machine relies on a standard T-72 chassis.
Its creator, Uralvagonzavod, boasts about the vehicle’s incredible durability, according to Onet News. Developers claimed the robotic tank could withstand 15 direct hits from hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers.
Losing the signal
Unfortunately for the designers, the grand demonstration quickly fell apart. President Vladimir Putin attended the event in person to watch the new hardware.
Instead of a flawless combat display, the high-tech tank suffered severe failures.
The vehicle experienced massive communication problems with the remote command center. Operators completely lost their connection.
This glitch forced an embarrassing workaround right in front of the president. A human driver actually had to climb inside the supposedly autonomous tank just to steer it.
Stuck in the mud
The humiliation deepened shortly after the manual takeover. As the exercise continued, the heavy tank drove straight into a patch of thick mud and got entirely stuck.
That minor terrain obstacle ended the machine’s participation in the drills completely.
Experts are now pointing out glaring flaws in the design, and the website Defence24 highlighted why this specific failure matters.
“In the case of a classic tank, such an incident would not be particularly unusual. In the case of a heavy robotic vehicle intended to conduct assault operations, however, it is important from the point of view of its practical value,” Defence24 noted.
Back to the lab
The outlet explained that survival requires more than just thick armor.
“The design must not only have high firepower and protection, but also be able to independently overcome difficult terrain without the presence of a human on board,” the publication added.
It seems the Russian engineering team has a long road ahead of them. Given the embarrassing weekend performance, this automated weapon will likely stay off the active battlefield for quite some time.
