UK StratCom buys V60 ‘robotic dogs’

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed the purchase of two Ghost Robotics Corporation Vision 60 (V60) quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles (Q-UGVs) for experimentation.

Valued at GBP449,000 (USD590,332), the contract – let by the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Future Capability Group to UK reseller Edgar Brothers and publicly confirmed on 2 March – also includes a two-year warranty package.

The Tactical Weaponised UGV project is exploring the use of Q-UGVs in dangerous and complex urban environments, and in extreme and complex terrain. It is envisaged that Q-UGVs can enable troops to operate faster and longer, and step back from some of the most challenging and dangerous operational tasks.

The V60 ‘robotic dog’ is a mid-sized high-endurance Q-UGV designed for all-weather use in a broad range of unstructured urban and natural environments. UK Strategic Command has procured the two V60 systems to explore their application to ‘dull, dirty, and dangerous’ roles: the V60 was sourced on the basis that it is the only solution on the market with the potential to be weaponised to support counter-terrorism and urban warfare missions.