"When used in combat, the robotic dog can also be engaged in target designation, patrolling and security."

RPG Robodog

Russian developers showed off a frightening new creation at the country's arms fair this week: a robot dog with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher strapped to its back.

State-owned news agency RIA Novosti shared a video of the abomination on Telegram earlier this week. The little robot can be seen tiptoeing around the expo and effortlessly squatting down to the ground — a bizarrely adorable yet absolutely terrifying vision of the future of warfare.

Go Fetch

The robot is a "sample of the M-81 robotic system, capable of conducting aimed shooting and transporting weapons," which can also be "used in the emergency zone for reconnaissance, passage through rubble and delivery of medicines," the robot's developers told RIA Novosti in a Telegram post.

"When used in combat, the robotic dog can also be engaged in target designation, patrolling and security," the developers wrote.

It's not the first time we've seen a robot dog with a weapon strapped to its back. We've seen several terrifying creations over the last couple of years, from a paintball gun-toting Boston Dynamics robodog to one wielding a submachine gun and another with a sniper rifle.

Russia Superior

Russian president Vladimir Putin himself opened the ceremony on Monday to deliver an address. He described the event as a showcase of the country's most cutting-edge military technologies.

"We are talking about high-precision weapons and robotics, combat systems based on new physical principles," Putin said, as quoted by Insider. "Many of them are years, perhaps even decades ahead of their foreign counterparts, and significantly superior in terms of tactical and technical characteristics."

Meanwhile, Russian forces are suffering heavy losses in Ukraine, with the Pentagon claiming the country has lost 80,000 troops so far.

Whether an RPG-wielding robot dog would be able to turn things around remains to be seen.

READ MORE: Robot Dog With RPG Strapped to Its Back Demoed at Russian Arms Fair [Vice]

More on robot dogs: Hacker Mounts Submachine Gun on Robodog, Shoots Live Ammo


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