In Truskavets, in the Lviv region, on 10–11 November, organisers unveiled a new format of military sports competition – “Wild UGVs”. It is a new project by the “Wild Family” community, involving units operating unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). The organisers reported this.
As the organisers explained, these were the first competitions held by “Wild Family” specifically among UGV operators. Previously, they had run the obstacle race “Wild Race” and the “Wild Drones” competition for combat UAV operators.
Twenty teams from Ukraine’s Defence Forces took part in “Wild UGVs”, arriving directly from the combat zone. They included representatives of the Ground Forces, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Air Assault Forces, the Special Operations Forces, the Marine Corps, the Territorial Defence Forces, the State Border Guard Service, the National Police and training centres.
The competition was organised by the 93rd Separate Mechanised Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar”, the NGO “Wild Race”, the “DOVZHYK” training centre and CAS (Creative Agro Service LLC), with the support of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapatyi.
Participants in “Wild UGVs” competed in three disciplines.
Cross – a race testing speed and skill in overcoming obstacles. Teams started in groups of four crews. Eight leaders met in the semi-final, and three crews fought for the title in the final. Winners were determined by two criteria: time over the course and proficiency in operating the UGV, including accuracy and correct obstacle negotiation.
Off-road – driving the UGV along a track with maximum obstacles: car tyres, logs, a muddy water section and sharp turns. Teams completed the course one by one. Speed and driving skill were assessed, and judges added penalty time for overturning the vehicle.
Medical evacuation – evacuation using a UGV in a format close to “wargaming” – a kind of rehearsal of a combat operation to evacuate a wounded soldier from the battlefield, from route planning to transport to the final point.
The competition unfolded at two locations: the “command post” and the evacuation point, where a comrade was positioned next to the simulated casualty. Using telemedicine, team medics had to explain to the role-player how to provide aid correctly to the wounded person. Judges also assessed how well the teams planned the mission.
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In the cross+off-road stages, first place went to the 25th Separate Air Assault Sicheslav Brigade of the Air Assault Forces. The unit received UAH 3 million in a subsidy from the Lviv Regional Military Administration, three “Rys PRO” UGV systems, a “DNIPROSTAR” UGV system from manufacturer Star Factory, and a certificate worth UAH 100,000 from Roboneers.
Second place went to the 155th Training Centre “Varan”, which received UAH 2 million in a subsidy from the Lviv Regional Military Administration and two “Rys PRO” UGV systems.
Third place went to the 157th Separate Mechanised Brigade “Night Ghosts”. The unit received UAH 1 million in a subsidy from the Lviv Regional Military Administration and a “Rys PRO” UGV system.
In the MEDEVAC stage, first place was won by the 93rd Separate Mechanised Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar”, which received a certificate from Tabletki.ua and certificates for refitting casevac vehicles from the Frame workshop.
Second place went to the 4th Special Operations Forces Regiment “Ranger”. The unit received a certificate from Tabletki.ua and certificates for refitting casevac vehicles from the Frame workshop.
Third, fourth and fifth places went to the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade “Halytska”, the 33rd Separate Mechanised Brigade named after Dmytro “Baida” Vyshnevetskyi, and the 71st Separate Airmobile Brigade, respectively. The units received certificates for medicines from a partner.
As the “Wild Family” community noted, the competition was organised to support the psychological recovery and rehabilitation of Ukrainian service personnel; to promote the development of the UGV field through direct interaction between the military and manufacturers; to popularise military service in unmanned systems units of Ukraine’s Defence Forces; and to give domestic manufacturers an opportunity to receive unique feedback on their products from end users and refine their inventions to meet the military’s current needs.
By way of reminder, in Bukovyna on 29–30 September, the fifth military sports competition “Wild Drones” among combat UAV crews of Ukraine’s Defence Forces took place.