DroneWatch: Unbemannte Pioniersysteme schlagen die Bresche

Auf dem US-Truppenübungsplatz Grafenwöhr in Bayern haben Pioniere der US-Armee und der britischen Streitkräfte in dieser Woche ein neues Vorgehen mit unbemannten Systemen zu Lande erprobt: Ferngesteuerte Räumpanzer schlugen eine Bresche in gegnerische Hindernisse.

Aus dem Bericht der US-Soldatenzeitung Stars&Stripes:

U.S. and British troops participated in the Robotic Complex Breach Concept demonstration, during which several remote-controlled vehicles performed a task usually carried out by soldiers.
“We did a robotic breach today, which has never been done before. This is a historic moment,” said 1st Lt. Cody Rothschild, an officer with the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, currently on rotation in Europe.

“This is a great step forward for the Army, and for robotics.” (…)
This is great news for the engineers who would otherwise be on the front lines of an assault.

Für das Überwinden der Hindernisse wurden gepanzerte Bagger des Typs Terrier der britischen Armee eingesetzt. Ferngesteuert wurden sie aus Bradley-Schützenpanzern der U.S. Army.

Die US- und britischen Streitkräfte hatten die ganze vergangene Woche die Vorführung am Freitag vorbereitet. Die Drohnen zu Lande wurden dabei von Drohnen in der Luft unterstützt:

Soldiers conduct breach operations when they encounter complex obstacles along their movement that may be reinforced with mines. The unit works together to secure the area and suppress any enemy contact, while using smoke to obscure their breach and mine clearing operations to continue their assault to the objective. (…)
The robotic assets used during the breach included aerial technology with the Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS), Puma and Instant Eye.
The Puma is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is designed for reconnaissance and has an integrated payload specifically for identifying buried objects such as mines or improvised explosive devices. This technology allows Soldiers to identify mines early during their advance.
The Instant Eye is equipped with a chemical detection module for identifying the presence of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats, which alerts the unit of the hazard and allows them to plan accordingly
The LMAM is a direct-fire missile used for neutralizing enemy targets.

(Foto: A „Terrier“ armored digger from the United Kingdom’s 22nd Engineer Regiment, 8th Engineer Brigade, maneuvers during a Robotic Complex Breach Concept demonstration with the U.S. military at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, April 6, 2018 – U.S. Army photo by Spc. Hubert D. Delany III/22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)