Combat walkers, or just ‘mechs,’ have been a part of science fiction for decades. The most famous examples are the AT-ST scout walker from Star Wars, the Amplified Mobility Platform from Avatar, and the L5 Riesig from the game Battlefield 2142. Non-combat versions include the the Caterpillar P-5000 Powered Work Loader from Aliens.
It’s finally happened: One of the world’s major military powers finally rolled out a giant fighting mech. Russian defense contractor Kalashnikov introduced a 13 foot tall bipedal fighting vehicle it says is suitable for engineering duties or “combat solutions.” But while combat walkers are a staple of science fiction, are they really all that practical?
Read more at Popular Mechanics.