Ukraine’s Western partners are showing interest in ground-based robotic systems (GROS), but are completely unprepared for their real implementation and use in their own armies. The main reasons are the lack of combat experience, outdated bureaucratic approaches, and a lack of understanding of the specifics of modern technological warfare.
Ukraine’s Western partners are showing interest in ground-based robotic systems (GROS), but are completely unprepared for their real implementation and use in their own armies. The main reasons are the lack of combat experience, outdated bureaucratic approaches, and a lack of understanding of the specifics of modern technological warfare.
This was stated at a specialized conference by Oleg Fedoryshyn, R&D director of DevDroid, a company that develops remotely controlled combat modules.
According to Fedoryshyn, foreign military personnel still live in the illusion of security due to the lack of relevant ground operations.
«We see a video where the operator of the American Abrams says that they are not afraid of FPV drones, they are doing well. And then we see footage where the FPV destroys the Black Hawk. Until they suffer losses in their own operations, they will not understand that the NRCs are vital to them,» the DevDroid representative noted.
He gave the example of Germany, which has powerful manufacturers, but a year ago did not purchase a single robot for use, because the interest remains purely theoretical.
One of the main misunderstandings between Ukrainian developers and Western customers lies in approaches to the life cycle of equipment. Western generals want to buy robots in the same way as tanks or MRAP armored vehicles.
NATO request: Partners are asking how to maintain the robot in 3, 5 or 10 years. They expect the platform to be in service for decades.
The reality of war: In conditions of constant modifications and electronic warfare, a ground robot lives much less. On the front, NRCs are designed for a maximum of 8 missions on average, although with competent planning and professionalism of operators, cases of up to 27 successful exits have been recorded.
Fedoryshyn shared DevDroid’s experience of participating in NATO exercises in Portugal, where the organizers demonstrated full readiness for innovations in practice. The Ukrainian team offered to show the complex in action — with remote shooting and performing real combat missions that save the lives of infantry.
However, everything came down to safety protocols: «They thought and said: there will be a test run, where you can just come and ride. But when a lot of high-ranking officials come, we are not ready to give you permission to shoot. They are afraid and do not understand: what if the robot turns around, what will happen there? . They are interested, but so far there are no losses — there is no understanding.»
The R&D director reminded that Ukraine also came to the mass use of NRCs not immediately, but through difficult experience and losses. The West will probably have to go through a similar path.
Oleg Fedoryshyn shared his opinion on which country in the world is an exception to this rule.
According to the expert, the only state that seems truly ready to use NRCs is Taiwan. Unlike their European or American counterparts, the local military already clearly understands the nature of the potential threat and understands exactly how a future ground defense operation on their territory might be conducted, and therefore assesses the role of robotic systems much more soberly.
