Bundeswehr tests Vision 60 from Ghost Robotics
At the end of the year, the Bundeswehr received several armed robot dogs from the US manufacturer Ghost Robotics. They are now being tested – without weapons.
In contrast to Spot, the Ghost Vision 60 appears somewhat more menacing (from left to right).
(Image: heise online)
At the end of the year, the Bundeswehr received four Vision 60 walking robots from the US manufacturer Ghost Robotics. This was announced by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).
"As part of defense technology research, BAAINBw is procuring various technology demonstrators to maintain analysis and evaluation capabilities," the Bundeswehr said. The land drone is now being tested, as reservist Charly B. told heise online. In contrast to Spot, from Boston Dynamics, the Ghost Vision 60 appears more massive and, with its empty weight of 51 kg, is also 20 kg heavier.
No armament planned
"No active component (armament) is planned for the Vision 60", according to a request from the Bundeswehr. In addition, decisions on unmanned weapon systems are "in principle not" made by the Federal Office. Instead, the drone is equipped with "visual cameras and thermal cameras" for obstacle detection. It could also be equipped with a LIDAR scanner to create maps.
Accordingly, it could be used "in a military context, e.g. for unmanned reconnaissance". Compared to other unmanned systems that move "with wheels or tracks", the walking robot offers advantages "in rough terrain such as wooded areas or in multi-storey buildings". The Bundeswehr has already been testing unmanned ground systems for some time.
Videos by heise
In May, it was announced that the US military was testing two armed walking robots of the Ghost Vision 60 type. It is already in military use in countries such as Israel and Ukraine.
In 2022, Boston Dynamics declared that it did not want to turn its robot "Spot" into a war dog. The company also criticized Ghost Robotics' ambivalent stance on arming robots. Boston Dynamics, together with other robotics companies, had written an open letter condemning the arming of general-purpose robots. Ghost Robotics, on the other hand, had shown its four-legged robot armed with a machine gun. But the tide seems to be turning. In January 2025, Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics agreed to settle a patent dispute that had been ongoing since 2022 and plan to work together in future.
(mack)
