The Beijing Precision Engineering Institute for Aircraft Industry, under AVIC, is developing the Strazh robotic combat vehicle. Its primary feature is a laser weapon designed to engage and destroy drones, including potentially FPV types.
The UGV is built on a tracked chassis with an autopilot and sensors, allowing it to operate in difficult terrain. It also carries communications equipment and an automatic target detection and tracking system, according to Btvt.info.
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Defense Express notes that although the UGV is said to be capable of independently detecting targets, published diagrams show it lacks both an electro-optical tracking station and radar. This means detection relies on a camera mounted directly in the laser turret. Another option could be pairing it with a separate UGV fitted with detection systems for target designation, but this would make the system more complex and significantly more expensive.
If detection is carried out only through the turret-mounted camera, the UGV will have a very limited field of view and correspondingly low efficiency. Still, once a target enters its sightline, dedicated algorithms are expected to track it and engage with the laser. The weapon itself has a cooling system and adjustable power settings.
A compact UGV with a laser also faces a major challenge: energy supply. A laser powerful enough to counter drones requires substantial power. While the vehicle likely carries an additional power unit, its endurance under active use is questionable. This means shorter operational range and fewer intercepts compared to a stationary equivalent.
Most likely, the system is designed to protect infantry groups or other UGVs from drone attacks. However, UGVs are often expendable assets that rarely survive more than a few missions. Installing an expensive laser and all its subsystems on such a platform raises doubts about its cost-effectiveness. In fact, mounting an automatic shotgun in a remote-controlled turret would likely be cheaper and more practical.
It is also worth recalling that China has already supplied russia with laser systems, reportedly used in combat to intercept Ukrainian long-range UAVs. If the Strazh robotic combat vehicles reaches production, it might also be exported to russia. However, at this stage of development, such a scenario remains unlikely.
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