Bumerang takes a small step towards autonomy
K-17 Bumerang IFV, pictured at the Army 2020 event near Moscow. (Photo: Alex Tarasoff)
Manufacturer VPK claims to have made progress on developing a remotely controlled version of the Bumerang 8x8 — but it hard to see the Russian Ground Forces adopting it soon.
Russian manufacturer VPK has tested a remotely controlled Bumerang 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicle.
The prototype can move forward and backwards, rotate its turret and move the gun up and down, said VPK general director Alexander Krasovitsky in a recent interview with Russian TV station RBK.
The operator can see basic data on fuel capacity and oil temperature. Krasovitsky even mentioned that the vehicle is controllable from a mobile phone, but obviously the solution is temporary.
In February 2021, he hinted at teleoperation for Bumerang: ‘If needed, the Bumerang could be controlled remotely; in other words, the information-management system of the
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