Ukrainian Developers Presented New Zmiy Droid Combat Ground Drone

Two Ukrainian miltech companies – DevDroid and Rovertech – have developed a new reconnaissance and strike ground robotic system (UGV) called Zmiy Droid 12.7.

The new drone combines Rovertech’s Zmiy platform and DevDroid’s Wolly 12.7 combat module.

Its primary purpose is remote reconnaissance, fire support, and destruction of enemy targets.

In the press release, the developers note that the Zmiy Droid 12.7 has armor that is resistant to anti-personnel mines and can withstand several attacks from enemy FPV drones. This makes it suitable for use in difficult combat conditions.

The drone’s key features include a silent electric motor, a range of up to 50 km, and a pulling force of up to 700 kg. It can move off-road, including through marshes, sand, snow, stones, and overcome small water obstacles.

The platform is adapted for mounting a 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun. The system supports multiple communication channels and full remote control, including firing.

The drone’s systems are equipped with artificial intelligence to detect, capture, and track targets, as well as a built-in ballistic computer that improves the accuracy of the attack.

The Zmiy Droid 12.7 also has a set of optical surveillance tools, including narrow-angle and wide-angle cameras and a thermal imager, all for effective day and night operation.

DevDroid also emphasized that the new UGV is equipped with Droid Box, a proprietary development of the company that allows for quick integration of proven software into any Ukrainian robotic platform.

This solution provides Zmiy Droid 12.7 with a clear and flexible control interface: the operator can simultaneously or separately control the platform and the combat module, which expands the capabilities in combat.

The new system is ready for use at the front and is currently being codified. Previously, DevDroid integrated the Wolly 12.7 module on the Ravlyk UGV and Tencore’s TerMIT platform.

Founded in 2023, DevDroid specializes in the creation of remotely controlled combat modules and robotic platforms with AI elements. It is known, in particular, for the production of TGP and Wolly robotic turrets.