Ukraine’s robots are carrying the heavy century-old M2 Browning machine gun into battle so troops don’t have to

• Ukraine is mounting M2 Browning weapons on ground robots to fight Russia.

• The powerful machine gun used by the crew is heavy and is usually mounted on vehicles.

• Infantry and vehicles are at great risk on the front lines, so robots are replacing them.

Ukraine’s ground robots are giving its military a new way to use the powerful crew-operated M2 Browning. American machine gun Due to its weight, it is usually installed in vehicles.

Ukraine uses its growing fleet ground robots Attacking Russian targets with weapons such as grenade launchers, RPGs and machine guns.

One weapon of choice is the century-old, American-designed M2 Browning .50-caliber machine gun known as the “Ma Deuce,” which has seen conflict from World War II to Afghanistan and is currently in use. Used by Ukraine against Russian troops and drones.

Ukrainian robot and weapons manufacturer DevDroid says the M2 is especially well-suited for robots that can carry heavy weapons into battle and keep soldiers away from the front.

The company’s main product is the Droid TW, a reconnaissance and attack ground robot with a turret that can fit a machine gun, including the KT-7.62, the Ukrainian version of the Soviet PKT.

But Oleg Fedoryshyn, the company’s R&D director, told Business Insider that the robot’s primary weapon is the M2. “I think in the Ukrainian Army, maybe 90% of the Droid TW is in Brownings.”

“It is an easily available weapon,” he said. “There are a lot of Brownings in the military.”

The M2 can be carried and operated by troops in the field, but doing so requires a crew and is cumbersome. “It is quite difficult for a soldier to carry the Browning and some ammunition on him because it is quite heavy. It is better to drive,” Fedoryshyn said.

A common weapon configuration in the U.S. military is to mount the .50-caliber machine gun on top of a vehicle such as a Humvee. However, in Ukraine, crewed vehicles and their crews are at extremely high risk, mainly due to mine and drone threats.

Giving the gun to the robot

The robot, also known as an unmanned ground vehicle, or UGV, is a better vehicle choice because it keeps soldiers away from combat, Fedoryshyn said. “It is better to place it on the UGV because in this case you do not need a soldier for this near the machine gun.”

Designed by the United States at the end of World War I and fielded in the early 1930s, the M2 Browning is one of the world’s most widely used heavy machine guns, currently used by more than 90 countries.

The M2’s weight, 84 pounds before ammunition, tripod and other equipment, means it is generally used differently than lighter machine guns.

The M2 can be carried into the field by troops, but its weight makes it cumbersome and manpower-intensive; therefore it is often mounted on vehicles, tripods or fixed positions. Attaching it to a robot allows Ukraine to harness the weapon’s firepower without the need for troops to tow it, crew it or fire it from exposed positions.

The DevDroid system can also support the US-made M240 medium machine gun, but Fedoryshyn said the weapon is not as available to Ukrainian troops as the M2.

The United States and other allies have provided Ukraine with M2s and ammunition, giving Kiev access to a weapon it can reliably hold in battle. The United States alone has produced millions of M2s over decades, making it a widely available weapon that partner countries can ship in meaningful numbers without quickly depleting their own stockpiles.

M2 Browning is also a popular choice for other companies that also produce Ukrainian ground robots. This contrast between cutting edge robots and a century-old weapon reflects a larger pattern in Ukraine: the pairing of old equipment with new technology.

Ihor Kulakevych, product manager for Ukraine’s drone and ground robot maker FRDM Group, previously told Business Insider that the company installed the M2 on its D-21-12 remote-controlled ground combat robot due to its usability and reliability.

He said many Western militaries have weapons and necessary ammunition in stockpiles, so Ukraine can count on supplies. The company also sees the M2 as a particularly reliable weapon.

Ukraine’s Frontline Robotics, another drone and weapons manufacturer, also produces an autonomous weapons module designed to carry the M2, among other weapons. mounted on a robot. Mykyta Rozhkov, the company’s chief business development officer, told Business Insider that this has turned the company into a “little tank.”

M2 also used in other autonomous weapons Including an AI-powered turret called Sky Sentinel, which Ukraine is using to intercept Russia’s Shahed-style drones.

M2 is a battle-proven weapon

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense called the weapon “legendary” and said it had proven to be reliable and durable. The Airborne Assault Corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, an elite combat force, described the weapon as “a true warrior among weapons that have proven themselves in the harshest conditions.”

The M2 is also key to Ukraine’s air defense units, which place weapons in the back of pickup trucks and try to stop Russian attacks before they hit their targets. Most of this crew Use the iconic American weaponEven as Ukraine develops new and more advanced anti-drone solutions such as interceptor drones.

The commander of the mobile air defense unit previously told Business Insider that the weapon is still effective in many situations, and that weapons like this are an important part of the layered air defense that Ukraine wants, along with a number of different solutions to maximize the chance of shooting down Russian drones.

Ukraine wants to achieve growing fleet of ground robots Strong and effective enough to defeat Russia while keeping its own soldiers safe. It uses them not only to fire at Russian targets, but also to transport wounded soldiers, transport heavy equipment, lay and remove mines, and bring and detonate explosives to Russian positions.

Their use is increasing rapidly. Ukraine’s defense minister said earlier this month that robots have been used in more than 50,000 logistics and evacuation missions since the beginning of the year; That number is much higher than the 2,000 tasks officials said the robots performed in the six months through December.

The ultimate goal with robots is to “save people’s lives” by taking over as many roles as possible from human soldiers, Fedoryshyn said.

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