Feasibility of evacuation from the front line using unmanned ground vehicles during platoon-level defensive combat

INTRODUCTION: Advancements in technology and intelligence, as well as deliberate targeting of medical personnel and vehicles, have made casualty extraction increasingly hazardous. The Russo-Ukrainian War has further demonstrated that the rapid development of unmanned technologies may also enable novel approaches. Although some of these systems have been deployed, reporting on their performance is scarce and understandably incomplete, which limits their evidence-based and effective integration with fighting forces. This paper addresses this gap by presenting preliminary findings on potential ranges of evacuation unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) utilisation. METHODS: A virtual simulation experiment was conducted, where a platoon defended against a mechanised infantry company. The experiment was a repeated military exercise with different groups of participants. The defending force had evacuation UGVs, which were placed close behind the defensive line. The aim was to determine whether UGVs could survive long enough to support evacuation and whether evacuation could be carried out before the conflict ended. Furthermore, the availability of UGVs and the likelihood that an evacuation attempt could avoid enemy interference were assessed. The experiment involved 470 participants divided into 11 groups. Each participant completed four combat scenarios. Players of each group switched sides and environments. In total, 44 instances of skirmishes were fought in a virtual simulation environment. RESULTS: The simulation results indicated UGV loss rate of 53%. Evacuations were attempted in 45% of skirmishes. Furthermore, 81% of initiated evacuation attempts were successful. CONCLUSIONS: The experiment provided estimates of evacuation UGV loss rates near the defence line amid active conflict. It also offered evidence on the feasibility of initiating evacuation before the active conflict had fully ceased, and the likelihood of the moving evacuation vehicle encountering enemy fire. These findings can guide decisions on whether the risk of losing small evacuation vehicles and their equipment is acceptable when deployed near front lines.