The Uran-9 combat unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), which failed its trials in Syria, has quietly entered service with the Russian Armed Forces, according to the state-owned TASS news agency.
In a recent interview, Kalashnikov CEO Vladimir Dmitriev said the Uran-9 combat UGV, also known as the 766 UPDK, has finally been accepted by the Russian military.
“We are currently completing the production of the first series batch,” Dmitriev told Russian journalists. “The Uran has good scientific and technological potential for developing further products.” Russian troops previously tested the Uran-9 in Syria, and according to Dmitriev, the experience helped identify areas for improvement before the start of mass production.
A Russian defense industry source noted that engineers are now working to increase the Uran-9’s range, response time, and data transmission capacity.
However, reports of the vehicle’s combat effectiveness have been largely overstated.
In June 2018, a classified report by a senior research officer at the 3rd Central Research Institute of the Russian Defense Ministry was leaked online, revealing poor performance results from the Uran-9’s trials in Syria.
According to the leaked report, the high-tech UGV could not operate at the expected distance from its controllers, had difficulty firing its 30 mm cannon, and was unable to fire on the move.
The Uran-9 reportedly lost contact with its control station 19 times — 17 of those for up to a minute, and at least once for as long as 1.5 hours. The issue was especially pronounced in urban environments, where buildings interfered with the radio signal.
The vehicle’s remote fire control system also performed poorly, with the 2A72 cannon experiencing a delay before firing on six occasions and a complete failure once. Additionally, the Uran-9’s armament, optics, and sensors are not stabilized, meaning the vehicle must stop before firing.
According to the Russian military, the Uran-9’s combat experience in Syria revealed serious shortcomings. It is also worth noting that following the failed trials, the Uran-9 did not pass state acceptance tests.
