According to preliminary estimates, the implementation of new technologies for munitions disposal and the “robotization” of most life-threatening military operations will not only help save the lives of soldiers, but will also save 75 billion rubles ($2.4 billion) over the period 2012-2014.

Resolving this problem is considered one of the priority tasks for the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu chaired a working meeting recently at the Leader Center for High-Risk Rescue Operations, where he demonstrated the capabilities of robot technology. The military was, by all accounts, impressed with the mine-clearing machines.

Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, proposed the implementation of these machines in Chechnya. The Ministry of Defense expressed interest in snow- and swamp-traversing vehicles, as well as in the Yel-10 and Yel-4 firefighting complexes.

Dmitry Rogozin, deputy prime minister has called the creation of robotic equipment for the Ministry of Defense a promising area for the development of weapons and military hardware.

The military is following suit. The official website of the Ministry of Defense recently posted an invitation to tender for the development of new types of weapons and military hardware. Private companies already hold a monopoly on the supply of tactical drones to the Ministry of Defense: now they have been invited to dabble in robotics.