United Kingdom-based company Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems (ABBS) displayed its Dragon mine-clearing unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) concept at SAE Media Group's Future Armoured Vehicles Survivability (FAVS) 2023 conference held in London between 13 and 15 November.
Described by ABBS as an "autonomous ground vehicle designed to penetrate minefields," Dragon is a robotic platform specifically created for obstacle clearance. Utilizing its numerous wheels as a trawl, the machine provokes the detonation of mines, progressively eliminating the barrier.
Read more: russia Can Secretly Mine the Black Sea Using Submarines: How it Works, Whether it is Possible to Prevent It
This is mentioned in the publication on the Janes portal.
Conceived in 2023, the concept was developed in response to the difficulties encountered by Ukrainian forces tasked with breaching russian minefields during Ukraine's summer offensive.
According to Janes, the projected weight of the Dragon UGV is 20 tonnes. It is also noted that due to its specific design, resembling more of a centipede, the Dragon mine-clearing vehicle is expected to be more resistant to detonation by various types of mines or anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), and artillery than "traditional" demining systems.
In open access, there is currently only a render with an image of the Dragon mine-clearing unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). Therefore, it is currently challenging to determine whether this development is still in the conceptual stage or has already undergone initial testing.
As Defense Express reported, the enemy had dug 6,000 km of fortifications in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Read more: russian Occupiers Lay Mines in Water Area of the Black Sea
