Norinco unveiled a new unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) designed for operations in confined environments at AirshowChina 2014 in Zhuhai (11-16 November).

Called the Battle Robot, the UGV is a tracked mini tactical operations platform intended for surveillance and combat missions in constrained urban or natural terrain. It is armed with a QBS 09 (Type 09) derived self-loading 12-gauge shotgun as a primary weapon, although a variant with a sub-machine gun of an unspecified type was also illustrated. According to Norinco, the UGV features a modular design, enabling operators to reconfigure the platform to suit a range of mission profiles as well as install upgrades whenever available.

Weapon could be replaced with manipulator arms to perform simple explosive ordnance disposal (EOD). Advanced sensor and camera systems are also potential options to enhance situational awareness of deployed troops.

The Battle Robot system comprises the UGV and a backpack-mounted transmitter and handheld integrated display and control unit. The spokesperson declined to reveal further details of the UGV's performance, although she did disclose that the basic UGV is equipped with a high-definition (HD) daylight camera and motion sensors that are capable of generating real-time threat warnings to the operator via the control unit. An optional infrared capability is also available, she added.