Video footage of Russia's new combat-capable Marker unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) emerged in early February.
The Marker UGV is designed to be a testbed for new technologies. Source: Foundation for Advanced Studies
The Marker UGV is a joint project between the Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI), Russia's equivalent to the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in conjunction with the NGO 'Android Technology'.
It has been described as an experimental platform that will interact with special forces to test and mature emerging technologies and concepts of operation.
The tracked vehicle features a slightly sloped front glacis plate and is equipped with a remote weapons station (RWS).
The RWS is armed with a Kalashnikov machine gun (MG) as its primary armament with sensors and optics fitted to the front and top of the turret structure, with two anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) mounted opposite the MG.
The UGV is likely to include various mission systems such as a laser warning system, thermal sensors, day/night infrared cameras, laser rangefinder, target detection, early warning system, identification, and tracking equipment.
It can be controlled remotely or work in tandem with a soldier, receiving target designation from the sight of the soldier's weapon.
The UGV has been designed with open information architecture to facilitate future technology insertions without requiring major modifications.