The Ukrainian defense industry has taken another step towards the robotization of the front lines. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has officially codified and approved for use in the Armed Forces a new reconnaissance-strike ground robotic complex (GRC) named Tanchik Droid 12.7. The vehicle is equipped with a heavy-caliber machine gun and is designed to perform tasks in the conditions of modern high-intensity warfare.
A New Standard of Autonomy and Firepower
According to the press service of the department, the key features of the new development are long autonomous operation time and extensive off-road capabilities. The designers created the complex based on real combat experience, which allowed them to ensure high firepower with minimal risk to the operator.
An important aspect of operating the Tanchik Droid 12.7 is complete remote control. The operator controls the complex from a safe shelter using a reliable communication channel. This allows the robotic platform to take on critical missions at the front line without exposing the lives of military personnel to direct threat.
Scale of Army Robotization
The introduction of the Tanchik Droid 12.7 is part of a large-scale rearmament process. Recently, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have received 1,028 ground robotic complexes of various modifications. The total cost of these purchases exceeded 487 million hryvnias. All transactions were conducted through the specialized weapons marketplace DOT-Chain Defence.
The Ministry of Defense has also summarized the interim results of work on new developments. In the first half of 2026, the department codified and approved for use in the Defense Forces 67 new models of GRCs. These technological platforms are becoming an increasingly common tool for minimizing human casualties during hostilities.
