09 December 2022

VIDEX 2022: Vietnam operationalises locally developed unmanned vehicles for CBRN defence missions

by Ridzwan Rahmat

A CBRN defence UAV that has been deployed by the People's Army of Vietnam, on display at VIDEX 2022. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

The People's Army of Vietnam has operationalised an indigenously developed unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and locally made multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) across two of its chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence units.

This was confirmed by a representative from the service, who spoke to Janes at the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition (VIDEX) 2022, which is taking place in Hanoi from 8 to 10 December.

The UGV is known as the ‘Viet Nam Robot CBRN' while the UAV has been dubbed as the ‘Airborne Radioactivity Monitoring System UAV'. Both systems have been developed by the Vietnamese Academy of Military Science and Technology (AMST).

The six-wheeled UGV is a 115 kg vehicle with a manipulator arm that can lift weights of up to 23 kg. It features a gripper attachment that can be interchanged according to mission types, and the type of decontaminant involved. It is equipped with two video cameras, and these are located on the UGV's main body and manipulator arm, respectively.

The UGV is enclosed in a ruggedised exterior that can withstand various contaminants and high-pressure water jets, so that it can easily be decontaminated once it completes its intended operations. Its main mission is to collect suspected decontaminant samples into a mobile lab, where these will be analysed by CBRN personnel for further action.

Meanwhile the UAV is used to verify if an area has been contaminated with CBRN agents. It is equipped with a Geiger–Mueller dose rate detector to measure the volume of radioactive contaminants in the atmosphere, the representative said.

The People's Army of Vietnam has operationalised an indigenously developed unmanned ground vehicle (...

Jane's Find unrivaled intelligence, consultancy and advertising solutions to the defence and national security sectors.