Judging by what the Kalashnikov Concern has come up with, it looks like we might just start seeing freakin’ STAR WARS walkers on the battlefield in the near future:
Kalashnikov Concern, Russia’s most famous weapons manufacturer, is showing off its newest projects, including a new assault rifle and a futuristic mechanized walker concept…
Of course, Kalashnikov wouldn’t be Kalashnikov if it didn’t treat the public to a new AK model. The prototype AK-308 is a development on the 1990s AK-103 design, combined with 2012’s AK-12, one of the most modern firearms used by the Russian army.
It shares key components with the AK-12, but is designed for the more powerful 7.62×51 round, and comes with a 20-round magazine, adjustable stock and telescopic sights.
But the most intriguing of Kalashnikov’s displays this year is the concept of a “controlled bipedal walker.” What can only be described as a 4-meter-tall robot with massive feet and T-Rex-like claws is supposedly intended for “engineering and combat solutions,” Kalashnikov says on its website.
In case you’re wondering what Russia’s latest technological terror looks like, here you go:
Sweet Mother Mary. STAR WARS is real, boys.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: it’s only real when we see freakin’ X-WINGS in the God-Emperor’s Space Force, and then –
… oh boy.
Anyway – so you don’t believe that the Russkies are building their very own armoured death machines ripped straight from STAR WARS? Here is what the All Terrain – Scout Transport looks like from the canon – before the !@#$%^&*s at Disney came and royally screwed the pooch with Mickey Mouse Wars:
Now according to the nerdboy specs over at the STAR WARS wiki, the AT-ST is 9.04 metres tall and goes 90Kph at full chat on a flat surface.
So the Kalashnikov robot terror up there is only 4m tall and nobody knows how quickly it will chug along. But, knowing the Crazy Ivans, those two T-Rex arms are definitely going to be replaced with chain guns and then BIG FREAKIN’ LASER CANNONS in the very near future.
If ever there was a time to NOT F*** WITH THE RUSSIANS, I’d say this is it.
Unfortunately, the idiots who run the Deep State in the US do not seem to have more than three brain cells between them all, so of course, they’ve gone and pissed off the Russkies even more.
Jesus wept.
Oh, and here is one for the gun nuts who read my blog – which, of course, is every single one of you, since you’re all men of manly manliness who believe in manly things like hot girls, fast cars, ASSPLODING STUFF in movies, good beer, great whiskey…
And, of course, epic gun porn:
A post shared by Концерн Калашников (@concernkalashnikov) on
I have said it before, and I will say it again: sometimes this whole “posting random shit on the internet” thing is very, very good fun.
3 Comments
I thought it looked more akin to Robocop's ED-209
Looks like a Battletech prototype.
The question is, what 'role' would something like that have?
Ground power? Low profile is the name of the game for ground power. No matter how good your armor, it is always cheaper to create a weapon that can destroy it. The rule for ground power is 'smaller is better' as long as it can fulfill it's job… Tanks are incredibly vulnerable without infantry to protect them, and the 'bottom' of the combat effectiveness size pyramid is a human being with a weapon… still the best combat creation for it's scale in existence.
Air power? It's radar cross section is HUGE… instant kill via a far less expensive aircraft.
Ocean power? It doesn't float, and if it submerges the noise from a humanoid shape like that would attract torpedoes like flies.
Don't get me wrong, mechs are VERY cool, but until a defensive development that is insanely science fiction… such as force fields, such a device is simply impractical for anything resembling combat. And even WITH 'improbable' science advances, much more compact forms than a mech would still utterly dominate such a pointlessly complex device.
There are millions of possible NON combat roles, however, that a walker could excel at… construction, Minesweeping, demolitions, disposal, medical, hot zone fortification, and hazardous environment to name just a few…
But mounting a pair of machine guns instead of those arms (or anywhere but perhaps on a top automated pintle mount for dealing with nuisance infantry) would literally wreck any possible usefulness it possesses compared to vehicles that would cost a fraction of it's expense.