Ukrainian company Ratel Robotics has started serial production of the updated Nurse TB20 tracked unmanned ground vehicle. The platform is designed as a practical infantry logistics robot: it can carry equipment, water, food and additional ammunition during rotations and movement near the front.
The launch was announced by Ratel Robotics executive director Taras Ostapchuk. According to the company, the updated vehicle can transport about 200 kilograms of cargo and uses three independent communication channels, which is important for work in a contested battlefield environment.
A robot for everyday infantry logistics
Nurse TB20 is not presented as a replacement for soldiers in combat. Its core task is more routine but extremely valuable: to move the heavy load that infantry otherwise carries by hand or on improvised carts. In practice, that means ammunition boxes, water, food, batteries, field equipment and other supplies that determine how long a unit can operate.
Ostapchuk said the goal is to replace the hand carts soldiers often use during rotations and let them take more supplies without exhausting people before they reach their positions. This is the kind of battlefield robotics that does not look spectacular on paper, but can directly improve endurance and safety for infantry teams.
Follow Me mode under testing
One of the most important features of the updated platform is the planned Follow Me function. Ratel Robotics has begun testing a prototype mode in which the robot automatically follows a soldier with minimal attention from the operator.
This matters because any robotic system that requires constant manual control also consumes a soldier’s attention. If Nurse TB20 can reliably follow a fighter while carrying cargo, it becomes easier to integrate into real movements, rotations and supply tasks. Earlier versions of Nurse TB used a camera and target-locking algorithm to recognize a soldier and follow them.
What is known about the platform
The robot uses a tracked chassis for movement on difficult ground. Ratel Robotics says the rubber tracks are sourced in Ukraine. In the previous configuration, Nurse TB had three removable batteries, a declared loaded range of at least 10 kilometers and a maximum speed of up to 6 kilometers per hour. The vehicle could work through several control channels, including with a repeater.
The move to serial production shows how Ukraine’s defense industry is shifting from isolated prototypes to systems intended for regular unit-level use. For investors and partners watching Ukrainian defense technology, Nurse TB20 is a signal of a wider trend: the country is building not only drones, but also ground robotic logistics platforms that solve immediate operational problems.
