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Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has personally farewelled a shipment of new Australian-made combat systems on their way to the frontlines of Ukraine.
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The first official batch of Advanced RACU (Rifle Accessory Control Unit) Commander Systems, built by Canberra technology company Kord Defence, will be supplied to special operations soldiers of the Ukrainian Military under the Australian government’s $100 million package of military assistance announced by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles in April this year.
The weapon-mounted RACU Commander System is a programmable, centralised point of control and allows a soldier to quickly engage any and all weapon-mounted and body-worn electronic devices, including radios, a torch, laser and other electronic equipment without removing their hands from the rifle.
Kord has confirmed at the launch event, held on 19 June in Canberra, that the device can be mounted as a standard barrel attachment on rifles of Western and Eastern design.
“It is the resilience of the Ukrainian people that has been underestimated but also the resilience of the international coalition of countries that have stood strong for Ukraine and this is where Australia was from the very beginning and we are very thankful to the Australian government,” ambassador Myroshnychenko said, speaking at the event on 19 June.
“For the Defence Department and especially personally thankful to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles who travelled to Ukraine at the end of April. He was able to see and meet the Prime Minister and the top military leadership as well.
“I was very pleased to hear that the Kord systems were then included in the last package and this is really fantastic. Also as you know … a number of other companies from Australia (including) drones were included in this latest package. And so this is very welcoming in Ukraine.
“Thanks a lot for your work and I understand that during the last two months, you had a little bit of an intensive schedule and making sure you can deliver what’s needed by the deadline. So thanks a lot for doing it. Thanks for delivering that. We hope that after these items are provided, there will be requests for more, so I hope there will be more those coming.”
It’s understood each individual combat system could be on the ground in the conflict as soon as next week after 10 earlier systems were previously donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for initial evaluation.
“We are delighted to equip Ukrainian soldiers with our RACU Commander Systems, which we are confident will enhance their safety and lethality on the frontline,” Dr Peter Moran, managing director of the Kord Group, said.
“Our RACU technology will enable Ukrainian soldiers to keep ’head up, eyes on target, hands on weapon’, and we are honoured to stand with other nations and industries in aiding their efforts.
“Think of it as a simple, common remote for the soldier, which gives them quick, easy, and intuitive control.”
The system includes a programmable three-button controller (Commander) as well as a range of adapters which enable either wired or wireless control of the electronic devices, according to the company.
The controller is designed to attach specifically to a quad rail or similar system and can be deployed singly or as a linked pair of control units. Each unit can be configured with one, two, or three buttons, allowing for a variety of button-press combinations for programming. Device control can be exercised directly or indirectly from the controller, and buttons can be activated using different techniques or actions.
Each system sent to Ukraine will include a radio, headset, torch and laser as well as the control system, according to Kord. In addition, Kord is understood to be providing a training app to accompany the equipment and instruct on its proper use in the field.
