Berserk (robot)
Belarusian remotely controlled combat complex for anti-UAV and anti-personnel roles.
Berserk is an unmanned, remotely controlled combat robot built in Belarus in 2018. Its main job is to shoot down small drones and engage enemy personnel, using two four-barrel GShG-7.62 aircraft machine guns. It first appeared publicly at the Minsk garrison parade on July 3, 2019, for Belarusian Independence Day.
The robot runs on a tracked chassis, chosen for stability under the heavy recoil of its machine guns. The chassis has a height-to-width ratio of 1:3 and a low center of gravity, which keeps it steady when firing. Two separate drivetrains, one per track, let it pivot in place like a T-90 tank. Low ground pressure gives it good cross-country mobility. The platform includes the tracked chassis, a power supply, a TV viewing module, and positioning and control modules. Its hybrid engine uses electric generators and a gasoline engine that mainly recharges the batteries. This setup allows silent operation, and the batteries’ low heat signature makes Berserk hard to spot with thermal imagers. Six smoke-grenade launchers (902 "Cloud" system) are mounted, three per side.
The rotating weapon platform carries two Soviet four-barrel GShG-7.62 machine guns, made by JSC “KBP named after Academician A.Shipunov.” These guns fire 7.62×54R rounds at a rate of 400 to 6,000 rounds per minute, thanks to an electric barrel-rotation system instead of a gas-driven one. Effective range is about 600 meters, with a maximum of 1,000 meters.
Berserk is integrated into the "Alliance" automated control system, making it an information node on the battlefield. This lets a commander see real-time data from the robot and other sources, like intelligent sights or soldier vital-sign monitors. The robot has a jam-proof radio transmitter for telemetry and high-definition video. Stable control range is about 2 kilometers in a city and over 5 kilometers in open terrain. Using a multicopter as a retransmitter can extend that range significantly.
Its guidance uses a two-channel optical-electronic station called "Chizh," developed in Belarus. Wide-field video and thermal channels search for targets, while a narrow-field channel locks on and tracks them. It can detect a helicopter-sized target at about 10 kilometers and a small drone (rotary or fixed-wing) at up to 2 kilometers.
Quick Facts
- Year of development
- 2018
- Country of origin
- Republic of Belarus
- First public presentation
- July 3, 2019, at the parade of troops of the Minsk garrison
- Armament
- Two four-barrel GShG-7.62 machine guns
- Rate of fire
- 400 to 6000 rounds per minute
- Effective range
- About 600 meters
- Maximum range
- Up to 1000 meters
- Control radius (city)
- About 2 kilometers
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Berserk was developed in the Republic of Belarus in 2018. Its tracked chassis was chosen for stability during firing, as the GShG-7.62 machine guns have strong recoil. The chassis design uses a 1:3 height-to-width ratio and a low center of gravity to maximize stability. Two separate drivetrains allow the robot to turn in place like the T-90 tank. The mobile platform consists of a tracked chassis, power supply system, TV viewing module, and positioning and control module. A hybrid engine—electric generators and a conventional gasoline engine—enables silent operation and a low heat profile, making Berserk nearly invisible to thermal imagers. Six blocks of smoke grenade system 902 "Cloud" are mounted on the chassis.
The armament consists of two Soviet four-barrel aircraft machine guns GShG-7.62, developed by JSC "KBP named after Academician A.Shipunov." The electric barrels rotation system replaced the gas rotation system, allowing a rate of fire from 400 to 6000 rounds per minute. The weapon uses the 7.62×54R round. The combat robot is integrated into the automated control system "Alliance," enabling real-time battlefield situational awareness and data transmission. It has a jam-proof radio transmitter for telemetry and high-definition video signals. The guidance system is a two-channel optical-electronic station "Chizh" with wide and narrow fields of view, providing target search via video and thermal imaging, and lock-on and tracking via the narrow channel. Detection range for a helicopter-type target is about 10 km, and for a small UAV up to 2 km.
Live firing tests and chassis trials were conducted in October–December 2018 at two Belarusian military training grounds near Borisov and Domanovo. The complex had to detect, identify, and destroy a small-size UAV, and was also tested as a fire-support mean for Special Forces. In 2018, Berserk was demonstrated to the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as part of a display of promising samples of equipment and weapons of the Belarusian military-industrial complex.
Reader's Guide
Berserk represents a notable development in Belarusian unmanned ground vehicle technology, specifically tailored for countering small UAVs and providing fire support. Its tracked chassis, designed with a 1:3 height-to-width ratio and low center of gravity, addresses the stability challenges posed by the high-recoil GShG-7.62 machine guns. The hybrid engine, combining electric generators with a gasoline engine for battery recharging, allows silent operation and a low thermal signature, enhancing survivability against thermal imagers. Integration into the "Alliance" automated control system reflects a broader trend of weapon informatization, where each unit becomes an information node for real-time command and control. The jam-proof radio transmitter and the option to extend control range via a multicopter retransmitter demonstrate adaptability to various operational environments. Live firing tests in 2018 validated its ability to detect, identify, and destroy small UAVs, as well as support Special Forces. The demonstration to President Lukashenko in 2018, who praised its accuracy and noted existing foreign demand, indicates official endorsement and potential for export. Berserk's combination of high rate of fire, anti-UAV capability, and integration into modern command systems positions it as a specialized tool within the evolving landscape of military robotics.
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