Norway unveils military robot that can transport ammunition on its own
Uncrew IC 12 Defence (photo: Uncrew Robotics AS)
Norwegian company Uncrew Robotics AS has unveiled the Uncrew IC 12 Defence unmanned ground vehicle, designed for logistics and engineering tasks. The platform has already entered service with the Norwegian Armed Forces, according to Hartpunkt.
Ammunition transport without human involvement
Uncrew Robotics AS presented the Uncrew IC 12 Defence at the 10th KSK (Kommando Spezialkräfte) Armament Symposium. The vehicle is based on agricultural machinery and offers high off-road mobility: it can carry up to two tons of payload or various tools.
Each of the platform's four wheels can be steered independently and has its own electric drive. This allows the unmanned ground vehicle, much like a tracked vehicle, to turn on the spot and move sideways. It can be operated remotely, in semi-autonomous mode, or fully autonomously.
Uncrew IC 12 Defence (photo: Uncrew Robotics AS)
A standard hydraulic interface at the front of the vehicle allows various equipment to be attached, including shovels, brushes and forks for earthmoving or material handling. According to the manufacturer, the robot is also used in Norway to clear runways at military airfields.
A forklift system built into the vehicle allows it to autonomously lift, transport, and lower Euro pallets weighing around one ton, without human involvement. This makes it possible to fully automate ammunition transport.
The vehicle can also carry up to 1.2 tons of cargo suspended underneath it. In this mode, transport and unloading are autonomous, while loading requires external assistance.
At the symposium, the unmanned ground vehicle was demonstrated as an ammunition transporter without a tool attachment, although the manufacturer also says the platform can be used to carry sensors.
Logistics using unmanned ground vehicles remains one of the key priorities for the Ukrainian military. In August, the KILLHOUSE Academy unmanned ground vehicle school received the heavy Protector system.
According to the school's founder, Victor Pavlov, the tactics for using such unmanned ground vehicles are centered on logistics: the system delivers large volumes of cargo to intermediate supply points, from where smaller unmanned ground vehicles transport it directly to positions.
