Ground-based RTK "Omich" in combat conditions
The Omich RTK with passengers and driver on board. Photo by OABII
In December 2025, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov announced that three modifications of the Omsk robotic platform had been tested by the Ulyanovsk Guards Airborne Forces unit from the Dnepr group. Prior to this, in August 2024, the family was first presented at the Army-2024 forum. The developers were the Omsk Armored Engineering Institute, and the manufacturer was OmVent LLC (NPO RENG LLC).
Let's take a closer look at what this vehicle is and why the paratroopers needed it.
A platform that fits in half a meter
The Omich-2 is the main modification delivered to the troops. It's a compact tracked robot weighing 375 kg and standing just 450 mm tall. For comparison, that's lower than a typical desk. The designers removed the bulky fenders, made the body more compact, and the vehicle became lower and more stable.
The powertrain is fully electric: two 3 kW motors, each driving its own track, and a 48-volt, 180-ampere-hour battery. The range is 15 to 25 kilometers, depending on conditions. The payload capacity is 350 kg, and it can tow up to 500 kg.
An experienced Omsk soldier fires a grenade launcher. Photo: VOIR / OABII
There's also a larger version—the first-generation Omich. It weighs 650 kg, features a T-shaped hull with prominent fenders, and can reach speeds of up to 30 km/h with a range of up to 20 km.
Both platforms are electric. This is no accident. According to a NRTK instructor with the Southern Group of Forces, call sign "Perevodchik," quoted by the Rossiya 24 television channel, the electric motor provides a low thermal and noise signature—critically important on the front lines. Its small size and low profile make it difficult to detect and engage.
Control is remote, via a control panel with a video monitor. But the Omich has a unique feature: an additional control station right on board—a column with handles. Essentially, the robot can transport people, and if the communication channels fail, the driver will mount the platform and drive himself.
This makes the vehicle "optionally piloted" - a hybrid of a robot and a miniature all-terrain vehicle.
Another variant of the Omsk platform. These chassis are used for mounting weapons. Photo: VOIR / OABII
Modifications: from medic to flamethrower
The Omich family is not a single machine, but a whole line of platforms for different tasks.
The Omič-Ogonyok is a transport variant with a cargo platform and low sides. It transports ammunition, provisions, assault teams, and the wounded from the battlefield.
A RTK as a transport for paratroopers. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
The Omsk-Shmel is a combat modification with a launcher for four RPO-A Shmel rocket flamethrowers and a protective mesh screen.
The Omich-2 can be equipped with: anti-tank missile Kornet and Fagot systems, the AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher, and heavy machine guns. A 10-rail launcher was on display at the exhibition.
A separate modification is the Omich-Vodomet: a tracked platform with a water jet propulsion system that independently crosses water obstacles, including against the current.
The Omich-Vodomet floating platform. Photo by OABII.
Three mines and the vehicle is back in action.
The most revealing testimony from the combat zone is the story of a soldier from the 77th separate motorized rifle regiment of the "South" group, call sign Lev, reported by the Russia 24 television channel.
According to him, one of the Omsk vehicles hit mines three times and continued to operate after being repaired.
"The operator doesn't need to be in dangerous terrain during the delivery. Naturally, we're not risking human lives, but rather equipment," noted soldier Lev.
An instructor with the call sign "Translator" confirmed that the Omich-2's main advantage over the first version is its reinforced batteries and engine, which allow the vehicle to better navigate off-road conditions: swamps, potholes, and even float on water.
Models of the Omsk aircraft in various configurations. Photo by VOIR
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The Omich is an example of an approach gaining momentum in the Russian defense industry: simple, inexpensive to manufacture and repair, equipment that can be mass-produced and repaired in the field. The electric powertrain eliminates expensive and complex components. The tracks are rubber, and the undercarriage consists of five road wheels per side with a balance beam and spring suspension.
Robots are no longer laboratory prototypes. They navigate trenches, transport the wounded, and, according to military personnel, can withstand explosions. How this technology will develop further depends both on combat experience and on how quickly production can ramp up.
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