When we hear the name “Kalashnikov”, we always think about the rifles under that name, starting with the AK-47 to the recently announced AK-308. But the company is really more than guns, it also does special weapons such as missiles, the GSh-301 3mm aircraft canon and small boats for civilian and military uses under the Vympel brand.
Now, it looks like it is going into building giant robots.
Whilst the AK-308 was the main news about the company during the Army-2018 International Military Technical Forum in Moscow, it also unveiled “Igorek”, a giant robot concept which it says is a concept of a controllable bipedal complex. The promising goal of using the anthropomorphic complex is to solve engineering and combat tasks. In next year’s International Military Technical Forum, it will further present the development of its technology.
The 4.5 tonne 13 foot robot is going to be manned robot that is designed for engineering and combat tasks. Since it is a concept, Igorer, for now is giant immobile pile of metal that is seen at the front door of the company’s headquarters. What is said to move move are the arms that show claws on each arm
At first glance, it will remind you of the ED-209 police robot from the movie “Robocop” in 1987 albeit Igorek is still a crude concept. It is probably closer to the Megabots which is a piloted giant robot built by enthusiasts in the U.S. who wanted to start a giant robot fighting league. In a world’s first, Megabots battled the Kuratas robot from Japan last year and won.
If the Megabots team are looking for a bigger challenge, then Igorek can be a potential and perhaps a more daunting opponent given that it is from a company that does real military hardware. Now, the question is, will Kalashnikov accept? If they do, it might be Rocky IV all over again, this one between giant fighting robots. That would be a treat.