Antonio Manaytay Tech 10.18.2022 19:Oct PM EDT

The Netherlands Becomes the First NATO Country to Deploy Armed Ground Robots

The Netherlands became the first among member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deploy armed ground robots or unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).

The aim is to do more with the same number of people, the Ministry of Defense said, citing the deployment of the so-called Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) for land operations with the "first tactical exercise in Lithuania."

UGVs Move Like Tank

An Estonian defense company built the armed ground robots under Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry Systems (THeMIS).

The UGVs move like tanks and can be outfitted with weapons.

In a story published in a military and intelligence trade journal, Janes, The Netherlands deployed four UGVs on Sept. 12.

The defense ministry described the deployment as experimental.

'Operational Experiment'

Lieutenant Colonel Sjoerd Mevissen, the Royal Netherlands Army's Robotics and Autonomous Systems commander, said the deployment of the four armed ground robots an "operational experiment."

Nothing of this kind was seen in the West, he said.

Military-relevant Environment

The exercise where the UGVs were deployed was not just simple tests.

The deployment, he said, acquired a semi-operational status because of the threat from Russia.

While the country was not directly at war with Russia, it considered the war in Ukraine as its war.

Not The First in The World

The Netherlands' armed ground robots were not the first the world has ever seen. Instead, Estonia was the first country in the world to deploy its unarmed THeMIS in Mali in 2019.

In 2018, Russia also deployed Uran-9, its version of armed UGVs, in Syria.

Both THeMIS and Uran-9 are bigger and capable of carrying more deadly weapons.

Russia's UGVs can be deadly. It can carry four 9M120-1 Ataka anti-tank guided missiles on top of a 30mm 2A72 automatic cannon.

Several reports, however, said the Russian UGVs performed poorly in the Syrian war. The deadly-looking ground robots reportedly had control problems.

Read Also: Save Us From Killer Robots

Uran-9 Impressive, Trouble With Fundamentals

The look of Russian Uran-9 could be frightening. But the trouble with it was not only with warfare. It performed poorly in remote control warfare.

During its Syrian campaign, Uran-9 had trouble with its communication with ground control stations. Its poor gun and suspension system was also a problem, as it could not precisely target an enemy while moving.

This array of issues was highlighted during a Russian security conference at the N.G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy in St. Petersberg.

The War in Ukraine Is 'Our War'

The operational experiment that saw the deployment of The Netherlands' UGVs could be a signal the Dutch government is not taking the threat from Russia lightly.

In a published report, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned of Russian President Vladimir Putin's plan to establish an empire.

Rutte feared that the war would not end in Ukraine.

He said any help for Ukraine in its war with Russia is "for ourselves, not for Ukraine."