One platform, many missions: Laykka's modular architecture
The Laykka C base vehicle is built around a top-side mission bay that can carry anything from a mine module to a 4-pack of M72 LAWs, an RK 95 mount, or a fire-rescue water monitor.
Laykka was designed from the start as a modular platform, not as a single-purpose weapon. The base vehicle, Laykka C, has a recessed mission bay on its upper surface where the mission package is bolted in. Each module brings its own task-specific behaviour, so swapping the role of the platform is a hardware change, not a redesign.
The base platform: Laykka C
The Laykka C base platform weighs around 100 kg and tops out at 20–25 km/h. It is all-wheel-drive (four 450 W 24 V DC motors delivering 118 Nm of torque) and runs on a 2.5 kWh LiFePO₄ battery pack, giving roughly 1.5 hours of drive time at –20 °C and 2.5 hours at +20 °C, with a 168 hour standby. It is rated for an operating temperature window of –25 to +40 °C, has 17 cm of ground clearance, and is controlled from any Linux-based laptop using either an Xbox controller or a HOTAS setup. Connections include 5G/4G IoT, radio and optic fibre, with VPN authentication between control station, server and UGV. (Source: official Laykka C product brochure.)
Combat variants
Three combat variants are documented in the official Laykka C combat variants spec sheet. The Recon Laykka C carries an RK 95 automatic rifle on a ±45° rotating turret, with 75 rounds of 7.62mm and selectable auto / semi / single-shot fire modes. The Loitering Mine variant carries an MSM MK2 mine (7.5 kg payload). The Anti-Tank variant carries 4× M72 LAW launchers, with a fire mode of double or all. All three variants share the same chassis, the same ±45° turret architecture, and the same 20 kg self-destruct charge.
FRV18: the fire & rescue variant
Beyond defence, Laykka also exists as a fire and rescue platform. The FRV18 is an autonomous multi-purpose fire rescue vehicle of roughly 120 kg with firefighting equipment fitted, 1320 × 1200 × 590 mm in size, and built around an integrated TR water monitor, an IR camera, two-way communication, advanced remote control, an optical fibre option and a fog screen. It shares the Laykka C drivetrain, battery, control architecture and operating temperature range, but its mission package is purely civilian (Laykka FRV18 brochure).
Why modularity matters
Designing once and re-using the platform across multiple roles is what makes Laykka economically realistic. As the public reporting around the December 2022 Parola demonstration noted, an expendable system has to stay affordable, not creep into hundreds of thousands of euros per unit. Modularity is also operationally useful. A single trained operator and a single set of spare parts can support reconnaissance, anti-armor, mine deployment and fire rescue missions, depending on which module is bolted on for the day's task (Tivi, December 2022).
Sources
Official Laykka C product brochure (Laykka_20122024_LR). Official Laykka C combat variants spec sheet. Official Laykka FRV18 fire rescue vehicle brochure. Tivi: "Suomalainen sotilasrobotti osoitti tehokkuutensa" (10 December 2022).