Report: US Army to send Mine-Clearing Robot Dog to Ukraine
The US Army will provide a robotic dog to help an American nonprofit remove mines and unexploded munitions in Ukraine, Foreign Policy reported, citing a source.
The US Army Futures Command approved the transfer of one of the two robotic dogs it has, the outlet added.
Washington DC-based HALO Trust will use the Boston Dynamics quadruped “Spot” to remove mines, unexploded shells, and cluster munitions from areas near Kyiv occupied by the Russian forces briefly during the war, the outlet reported, citing group executive director Chris Whatley.
Safe Mine Disposal
Spot was put through a training session last year to demonstrate the handling of “small, volatile rounds,” similar to those used in the war-ravaged country.
The agile remote-controlled robot can tread on various terrain, including “loose gravel, grass, curbs, and stairs,” carrying 14 kilograms (31 pounds) of inspection payload, Boston Dynamics states on its website.
Spot could haul unexploded munitions — such as cluster bombs — to ditches far away from the civilian population, safely exploding them with other munitions.
“If you can just move something without endangering a human and move it far enough that you can take it to a place where it can be safely detonated with other items, you move up the curve massively,” Whatley said.
