Success In Making Robotic Tanks, Russian Ministry Of Defense Establishes Artificial Intelligence Department

Tests of Russia's Uran-9 robotic tank. (Wikimedia Commons/Vitaly V. Kuzmin)

JAKARTA - Russia continues to develop its defense technology, to face future wars that require the support of advanced technology.

In line with these needs, the Russian Ministry of Defense is said to be setting up a Department of Artificial Intelligence. With full support, this department is targeted to operate by the end of this year.

Mikhail Osyko, a member of the Government's Military-Industrial Commission, in his statement Monday, May 31 local time, said that later this department would operate individually, with a separate special budget.

“I can say that the Ministry of Defense has made the decision to establish an Artificial Intelligence Department. All these steps must be completed by December 1 this year", he explained, cited from TASS on Tuesday, June 1.

"Correspondingly, customers for artificial intelligence will start functioning at the Ministry of Defense from next year", he continued at a conference that was part of the International Industry Forum in Sevastopol.

He further explained, the Department of Artificial Intelligence will have its own expenses and handle tasks similar to the competencies possessed by the Department of Interdisciplinary Research Sciences at the Russian Ministry of Defense.

“I believe this will be a tremendous breakthrough that we should take advantage of. If we successfully launch this effort, carry out the work, and introduce the results. The Ministry of Defense will be a good engine in this process, especially in terms of practical application, something that is missing today", he concluded.

Russia's Uran-9 robotic tank. (Wikimedia Commons/Dmitriy Fomin)

Previously, the Russian Ministry of Defense was known to continue to modernize all lines of Russian military weaponry. Starting from individual weapons such as pistols, fighter jet technology, submarines, surface ships to radar. One of the highlights is the Uran-9 unmanned robot tank, which was exhibited last month at the 766th Production and Technological Enterprise in Nakhabino, Moscow, Russia.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, as reported by the Daily Mail at the time, said the robotic tank would be adopted by the Russian Armed Forces as soon as possible. The Uran-9 unmanned robotic tank is known to be equipped with a 30mm caliber machine gun, Ataka anti-tank missiles, and flamethrowers.

Before Uran-9, Russia first operationalized Uran-6 as a mine-clearing robot and Uran-14 which has the ability as a fire extinguisher.

"We hope to continue to develop our robotic capabilities, which the military has been waiting for", said Shoigu, while wanting improvements to this robotic tank, especially in the face of electromagnetic radiation and radioactive pollution. Russia itself is currently developing underwater robots and spy robots.