News.com.au: Russia wants a walker from Star Wars, Kalashnikov makes
Together with other foreign editions of the new Russian development, the Australian Internet portal News.com.au became interested. This interest was realized in the form of the article “Russia wants a Star Wars walker. Kalashnikov is giving it one ”-“ Russia wants a Star Wars walker. "Kalashnikov" makes it "by Jamie Seydela. As is clear from the title, the subject of the article was the actual Russian project of the walking machine, as well as its comparison with already known samples, but only from fiction.
Layout, built on the concept-project "Kalashnikov"
In the subtitle, J. Seidel notes: Russia has become the first country that is trying to send a giant walker to the battlefield, similar to those in the Star Wars saga. However, here the author expresses doubt in the real prospects of the project. He asks: Is this the case when the form got the better of the content?
Russia holds a military-technical exhibition in Moscow, the main purpose of which is to demonstrate the latest domestic developments in the military sphere. The entrance to the exhibition is “guarded” by something that comes directly from science fiction. This is a product of that class, which in certain contexts is called the term "combat mech."
J. Seidel recalls that such samples could previously be seen in the movies "Star Wars" and "Avatar." Moreover, the popular Battletech franchise is entirely built around the concept of military marches with armor and weaponry.
Looks like Moscow is impressed with the sample. The original walker presented concern "Kalashnikov" - one of the leading manufacturers weapons, has received worldwide fame for its machines. The company claims that it is now trying to implement a completely new concept of a multi-purpose vehicle with an unusual chassis. According to the Russian press, a mockup of a new walker with a height of 2018 meters was built to demonstrate at the Army-4 forum.
Kalashnikov on the march
J. Seidel points out that the sample shown is just a stand for testing certain technical solutions. In general, the new development is referred to as the “concept of a controlled direct-going complex”. The purpose of this product is to solve engineering and combat tasks, although the authors of the project do not yet specify which tasks will be solved and how. According to Russia Today, the project is still in its early stages. In this case, there is already a more sophisticated and developed machine that participates in trials. A full-scale prototype is planned to be shown at the next “Army” exhibition.
The Australian author notes that the Russian walker has little resemblance to the machines from Star Wars, whose exterior was formed by large armor panels mounted at an angle to each other. In addition, he is not armed to the teeth and does not carry a variety of equipment, as "mecha" from Battletech.
Instead, the Russian layout looks like a glass egg on two legs, equipped with a pair of not very large manipulators for working with different objects. In fact, the exhibition model looks a little better than low-budget movie prop.
Nevertheless, according to J. Seidel, even in this form, the original apparatus demonstrates interesting principles. It clearly shows the possibility of implementing the light armored AT-ST from Star Wars or the multipurpose loader from Aliens in life. Such concepts may well be implemented in one form or another.
However, the author believes that the implementation of such ideas may be associated with certain problems. First of all, he points to issues related to the combat use of walkers - the practicality of their work on the battlefield.
Fiction
J. Seidel writes that a walking combat vehicle, at first glance, has certain advantages over other equipment for the army. First of all, the walker has the best maneuverability and can literally step over the obstacles on the battlefield. In addition, a high machine gives the crew good visibility and simplifies the use of available weapons. In general, it turns out very terrible model of military equipment.
However, not all so simple. The author cites the opinion of experts of the Australian Institute of Strategic Policy (Australian Strategic Policy Institute), who explain why walkers have not yet found a place in the army.
AT-ST walking reconnaissance vehicle from Star Wars
Superficially examining the mechanical combat monsters that appeared in last year’s movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi, ASPI experts pointed out a number of their weak points. They point out the problem in the form of the need to maintain balance, increased loads on relatively small metal legs, as well as large sizes, which make the fighting machine an easy target.
The harsh reality of many armed conflicts, such as World War II, the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, showed that armored vehicles for infantry and reconnaissance vehicles must have a minimum profile. Due to their small size, they can go unnoticed for as long as possible and move quickly in order to get out of the blow if necessary. Walkers from fantastic works do not meet such requirements.
Dr. Andrew Davies from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute also notes that the leg propulsion has serious flaws. First of all, it is not distinguished by perfection and high efficiency. As for wildlife, in fact, the only reason for which wheels do not occur in biology is that evolution could not create a kind of bearing with blood vessels.
Another employee of the Australian Institute of Strategic Policy, Dr. Malcolm Davis, pointed out another problem of a walking combat vehicle. Their greatest flaw was clearly shown in the movie "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back." In the scene of defending their base, the rebels realized that their weapons did not penetrate the armor of the imperial walkers. In this regard, the idea to use harpoons and cables to bind the support equipment, and this has led to success. M. Davis sums up: “take off one leg and the whole car falls”.
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The Army-2018 military-technical forum became a platform for the first demonstration of a number of samples of different classes and different purposes. Among other things, concept projects of one kind or another were demonstrated. The most noticeable in all senses was the promising proposal of the Kalashnikov Concern in the field of multi-purpose walkers. The originally presented model of the walking machine did not have its own name, but soon received the nickname "Igor". The management of the development organization agreed to make it the working designation of the project.
The exhibition was shown a simple layout showing the general provisions of the project. “Igorka” was equipped with a large case with a habitable volume for the operator, as well as a pair of leg supports for movement and two small-sized manipulators for working with cargo. The total height of the product is on the order of 4 m. The calculated gross mass of the finished sample is 4,5 t. The layout shows that it is proposed to control the movement of moving parts using hydraulics. It should provide both mobility and work with the load.
According to known data, simultaneously with the demonstration of the “Kalashnikov” mock-up, work is underway to create a full-fledged prototype that will be used in actual tests. In the future, it can even be shown at the next exhibition "Army".
The Australian Internet portal News.co.au, as expected, could not pass by News from Russia, which resulted in an article with a brief description of Igorka and an attempt to evaluate this concept project. It should be noted that not all the arguments presented look decent and can be taken into account.
First of all, one can criticize attempts to compare the Russian concept with “ready-made samples” from the cinema, and not the most successful ones. For example, experts in the Star Wars universe can easily find blunders in the arguments of Jamie Seydela and scientists from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. However, there were flaws in other arguments.
According to experts from the Institute for Strategic Policy, the lack of a walker like the AT-ST or Igorka is its large size, making it easier to detect it on the battlefield and adversely affect survivability. However, this argument is easily disputed.
It is easy to see that in recent years the development of armored combat vehicles has been proceeding along the path of increasing dimensions and mass. This is facilitated by the development of detection and weapon systems. Even a small sample can be detected and attacked, as a result of which protection is of particular importance. Increasing the level of protection, in turn, is achieved at the cost of increasing size and weight. Designers and military consider this price acceptable. Thus, the argument about the size of the walker does not quite correspond to the current state of affairs.
Cargo Manipulator
The following argument from Australian experts concerns the effectiveness of a propulsor with legs. Indeed, such a chassis is not the most successful in terms of energy use. In terms of a number of its main characteristics, it is ahead of any other systems, first of all, wheels and tracks. No less a problem is the creation and manufacture of the walking propulsion, since it has a very complex kinematics and needs a no less complex control system.
At the same time, the walking chassis has some advantages over other chassis variants. So, due to a certain increase in the dimensions, it is possible to increase the overall throughput. In addition, the presence of several pillars provides the theoretical possibility of reducing the specific load on the ground in comparison with tracked, and even more wheeled equipment.
It is hardly worth reminding that the walkers of the “traditional” type have so far failed to go beyond the laboratories and the test sites. The emergence of high-grade samples suitable for use at the forefront, and it turns out to be a matter of the distant future. Scientists and designers need to solve a large amount of various tasks related to both technical limitations and practical application of equipment.
The domestic project with the frivolous name "Igor" is still in its early stages and, apparently, has not yet reached the stage of testing an unusual undercarriage. At the same time, the existing concept already addresses issues of future use of technology. The machine with a two-legged "chassis" is considered as a multipurpose engineering tool suitable for solving a wide range of tasks. It can be used both in combat as a weapon carrier, and in the rear for work in logistics.
This or that version of the use of unusual technology imposes special requirements that must necessarily affect its appearance. Such laws are in force in all areas, including in the field of walkers. Thus, the finished sample, the appearance of which is expected in the distant future, may have the most noticeable differences from the “Igorka” presented. How exactly the finished machines will differ from the existing concept - so far it remains only to guess.
However, one should not overestimate the unusual project. Walkers do have a number of serious problems that significantly impede their creation and implementation. At the same time, it is necessary to remember about the existence of a mass of more familiar types of equipment for various purposes, which are already successfully solving urgent problems. Probably the main goal of the current project of the Kalashnikov Concern should be to determine the real value of the existing proposal.
Article “Russia wants a Star Wars walker. Kalashnikov is giving it one ”:
https://news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/russia-wants-a-star-wars-walker-kalashnikov-is-giving-it-one/news-story/0548bcf698f277566e7315c559d92be3
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