Uran-9 Unmanned Combat Ground Vehicle
When reports emerged that Russia’s Uran-9 infantry support bot had reached Syria, the international media had a field day with headlines about Terminator robots taking over the battlefield. It wasn’t until months later that it was revealed that the Uran-9’s deployment was as troubled as it was short-lived. According to statements made by A.P. Anisimov, a Senior Research Officer from the 3rd Central Research Institute of the Russian Defence Ministry at a Russian security conference called “Actual Problems of Protection and Security,” the robot was just about useless in a fight. Operators lost connectivity when it strayed just 300 meters or so from them or when line of sight was compromised by terrain — and according to reports, they lost total control of the robot for at least one minute no fewer than 17 times during testing. Two more instances saw the robot simply shut down for more than 90 minutes.
It couldn’t fire accurately, couldn’t traverse the terrain it encountered, and was ultimately deemed more liability than asset in real field conditions. Nonetheless, the Kremlin opted to tout the Uran-9 in their most recent military parades as an immense success for the nation.
Ratnik-3 Stealth Camouflage System
Over the summer, Russia announced that their contractor Rostec had developed an active camouflage system that would electronically mimic a war fighter’s surroundings to help them blend in to any environment with ease. According to their claims at the time, the system would function on individual soldiers as well as large equipment, and a demonstration of their breakthrough was coming at any moment.
The demonstration, like the technology, never manifested — but they did earn some great “Predator” references in headlines all over the world.
Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missiles
Early this year, Russian president Vladimir Putin gave a speech that included references to a number of new weapons systems being developed by his nation’s military. Among them was a new nuclear-powered cruise missile he touted as “invincible” because of its near limitless range, thanks to a nuclear power source that could keep it flying for as long as it needed to in order to circumvent missile defense systems.
By the summer, however, it was revealed that the missile had failed to work in every test, with one even going missing in the Barents Sea. Russia deployed three ships to attempt to recover their lost missile and it’s unclear if they were ever able to find it.
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