The Impuls ground robotic systems, created with the participation of Rostec State Corporation, have been tested in combat conditions in the zone of the special military operation and confirmed their effectiveness in both fire-support and transport missions. Several modifications of these vehicles are now being used on the front line.

These include the Impuls BM-A fire-support robots. Special combat modules with AGS-30 or AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers can be installed on them. In addition, troops are using transport versions of the system — Impuls-M — designed to deliver cargo to the front line.

Rostec reported that the Impuls robotic platform had undergone comprehensive testing in real combat conditions. Russian servicemen use these vehicles to strike targets and transport necessary cargo. The ground drone can be controlled either via a radio channel or through a fiber-optic line. If necessary, the operating range can be increased with a repeater that can be installed on any type of UAV. In this configuration, ground drones are able to operate tens of kilometers away from the operator.

A separate feature of the system is its ability to move autonomously. In this mode, the robot follows pre-set points on an electronic map and additionally checks its position using special software. This function is needed when communication with the operator is lost, for example if the vehicle moves behind a fold in the terrain and leaves the zone of direct radio signal.

The transport modification of Impuls is already being actively used to supply units of the Russian Armed Forces. The robots transport food, clothing, ammunition, construction materials and other cargo needed on the front line. These ground drone «trucks» have also confirmed their ability to move independently across terrain without constant communication with the operator.

Servicemen operating these systems noted that the Impuls robots had shown good effectiveness. According to them, this applies both to combat versions and to transport vehicles. They stressed that the ground drones are highly survivable: they withstand fragments of anti-personnel mines and glancing hits from automatic weapons.

One of the system’s main advantages, according to the military, is its cross-country capability. The tracked chassis allows the robot to cross ruts, pits, areas of deep mud and climb slopes. In addition, Impuls has a high payload capacity: the vehicle can carry up to 500 kilograms while moving uphill at an angle of up to 30 degrees, up to one ton on flat ground, and tow up to one and a half tons.

As a tractor, the system can also handle heavier tasks. In particular, it is capable of pulling a D-30 howitzer, which weighs more than three tons.

Thus, the Impuls robot is now being used in the zone of the special military operation not as an experimental prototype, but as a working platform for fire support, logistics and autonomous cargo movement. The combination of a tracked chassis, different control channels, operation through a repeater and autonomous mode makes it possible to use these systems in conditions where sending people or conventional vehicles involves increased risk.