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By Joshua Krause

After 15 years of fighting the War on Terror, Americans have become thoroughly acquainted with automated warfare. Drones are no longer a novelty, especially after Obama took office and started deploying them like there was no tomorrow. However, there is no reason to think that these machines are the end point of automated warfare. If anything, they are just the beginning. As technology advances, we can expect to see more robots show up in every active and supporting role the military has to offer. That of course, will include land-based drones.

Despite spending two decades developing land-based drones, it’s not the US who is going to break ground in this field, but a Russian state-owned corporation known as Rosoboronexport. They’ve just developed the very first tank drone, and they are expected to sell it on the international market in the very near future.

Rosoboronexport expects that the robotic combat vehicle will mostly be used to provide fire support for counter-terrorism units, reconnaissance units and possibly light or mechanized infantry forces. “The Uran-9 will be particularly useful during local military and counter-terror operations, including those in cities. Its use will significantly reduce personnel casualties,” the Russian state-owned export company said in a statement.

Each Uran-9 combat vehicle is armed with a 2A72 30mm automatic cannon, a 7.62mm machine gun and M120 Ataka anti-tank guided missiles, giving the machines a significant punch. The inclusion of the Ataka missiles gives the diminutive robot the capability to engage and destroy the most modern battle tanks from ranges as great as 8,000 meters. The robots are also fitted with an array of sensors—including a laser warning system and target detection, identification and tracking equipment.

The Uran-9 system is not just a single vehicle. It’s a complete system that can be deployed with an infantry unit. The system consists of two robotic reconnaissance/fire support vehicles, a truck to carry those robots and a mobile command post.