Ukraine presents ground drone with 25mm cannon
The VATAG ground-based robotic system, which performs heavy logistics and strike tasks, has been presented at the Brave1 Defence Tech Valley 2025 exhibition.
Source: VATAG project manager in a comment to Oboronka, a defence industry project created by Mezha.Media, a technology and IT news platform within Ukrainska Pravda's holding company
Details: The project manager told Oboronka that the developers are seeking to transfer some of the functions of infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), MT-LBs and M113s to the robotic platform. The goal is to ensure that certain logistics and strike operations can be conducted without human involvement.
A representative of the developer company said: "From personal experience, I can say that when you are inside an IFV that has been hit, you have neither the time nor the desire to find out whether you are alive, whether the vehicle is running, or whether it can be restarted. Your first reaction is to drop everything and run out. But if the operator is working from a safe place, they can calmly control the vehicle and complete the task. Among the functions assigned to the IFV, the only thing the robot cannot do is deploy infantry."
The first thing that catches the eye is the weaponry. The exhibition model of the robot is equipped with a 25mm automatic cannon, but the modular design also allows for the installation of a 12.7mm machine gun or an Mk19 grenade launcher.
"Our ground-based robotic system is designed to use the standard M242 Bushmaster 25mm automatic cannon. This means that you can simply remove the cannon from a Bradley vehicle and mount it on the platform. But its load capacity allows you to mount even a full BM-21 Grad multi-launch rocket system on it," said the developer.
Another function is logistics. The robot can carry up to 2 tonnes of cargo and has an automatic hydraulic system for unloading it. The declared speed of automatic unloading is 27 seconds. The 8x8 wheel formula, dimensions and weight ensure passability in hard-to-reach places.
The VATAG has various positioning systems, so it can deliver cargo automatically to specific coordinates.
It is powered by an electric motor with a large battery. The maximum speed off-road is 42 km/h. To protect sensitive components from damage, the complex has STANAG 3 body protection (it can withstand a 155mm shell explosion at a distance of 60 m or a 7.62mm cartridge hit). This level of armour is comparable, for example, to the Varta-2 armoured vehicle from Ukrainian Armor, Ukraine's largest private arms manufacturer.
Mine protection is rated at STANAG 2, meaning it can withstand a 6kg explosive charge under the wheel.
The biggest mystery is the price. The project manager noted that the VATAG has a modular design, so the cost will largely depend on what the customer orders: which control system, armour, communications, weapons, etc. are installed.
The vehicle is currently in the process of codification and is undergoing joint testing with the Ministry of Defence.
Background: Earlier, Oboronka reported that Tencore had presented an updated TerMIT 2.0 ground drone with twice the performance.
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