Poland orders 96 Tarantula robotic reconnaissance vehicles

Poland has ordered 96 Tarantula robotic reconnaissance vehicles (RRV) from the Industrial Institute for Automation and Measurements (PIAP) for delivery between 2026 and 2027, according to a 7th March announcement from the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND). 

The order is valued at EUR11.9 million and includes an option to increase the quantity of Tarantula RRVs to 130 if required. The contract was signed, on the government side, by the Polish Treasury and Armaments Agency and with PIAP, which is part of the Łukasiewicz Research Network. This research network was set up to conduct research and development for European businesses, it consists of 22 Polish research institutions and 4,500 scientists, according to the network’s website. 

“We are investing very heavily in unmanned vehicles, drones. Poland needs huge capabilities to produce drones. That is why we see opportunities in funds from the European Union for Polish companies,” the Deputy Prime Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said. 

PIAP will also provide ten maintenance and repair kits for the Tarantula RRVs as well as training and certification for the Polish armed forces. The Tarantulas are expected to replace humans in reconnaissance operations in all terrains and environments including the urban, with the ability to climb stairs and navigate rubble. It is a relatively small vehicle based on the Fenix 3.0 from PIAP, it is designed to be carried by a single soldier or in an armoured vehicle. It has a tracked configuration and an extendable arm with a claw and camera. 

Programme overview: Tarantula

Tarantula is a programme initiated by the MND in 2014 leading to a contract with the Reago Group in 2015, which was offering a localised version of the Israeli Micro Ground Tactical Robot.  The offer from PIAP, a robot called Model 1506 was also rejected in that round of procurement. However, this contract was cancelled in 2017 leading to the relaunch of the programme, according to Milmag, a Polish defence news outlet. Through several further cancelled projects, the MND finally announced that it was conducting contract negotiations in January 2024, which led to the contract covered above. 

Calibre comment

Robotic combat vehicles have taken on a number of roles in Ukraine including forward supply, casualty evacuation, and reconnaissance. The Russian forces have developed and deployed the Courier RRV, which can be armed with 30 mm automatic grenade launchers or heavy machine guns; some 50 were reported to have been delivered in November 2024. 

Smaller systems like the Tarantula do have value in a modern war, however, they are potentially limited by line of sight communications, which can be disrupted by terrain or jammed. They fit into a somewhat different category to larger platforms like the Milrem Type-X or Havoc, which are better positioned for reconnaissance by force and direct contact with an opponent. Instead, they are best considered as a ground-based version of a tactical reconnaissance drone, providing the users with some extended reach and ability to assess potential threats in an area without exposing personnel.