A new trend is emerging in security and defense circles to bring armed robots onto the battlefield. Russian army officials are conducting tests to determine tactics and techniques. They are also integrating ground robots into the army. The Royal Marines recently received the right to use unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), on the battlefield. They have these vehicles now to support their units during battle, as well as to search for enemies on the ground.
Several defense firms are now introducing prototype designs of unmanned ground vehicles to the military. Textron's Ripsaw is a UGV capable of performing many missions including border patrol, perimeter defense, rescue and crowd control. The tank is equipped with an electric-diesel hybrid engine, which allows it to switch from a noisy approach to a silent one. You can add an optional armament, which can be a 30-millimeter cannon.
Qinetiq has also announced the Titan. This robotic tank is designed to operate with or without a human crew, and is intended to meet the requirements of the Army's Remote Combat Vehicle Light. These vehicles will weigh in at about 10 tons and be able to carry anti-tank rockets from the Javelin class. The Titan is light and modular, despite its small weight. Titan can be configured to fulfill different roles with different superstructures.
Other defense companies are also preparing to launch their UGV designs at the Association of the United States Army's trade show in Washington, D.C. Army Futures Command spoke this week to AUSA about its cross-functional teams that are working to build a future robotic army. The Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross-Functional Team is one of these teams and is currently designing a robot platon-sized tank with different armament options.
As the US Army continues to build its future robotic force, the Reserve is shopping for its own. Some of the Army's most elite Reserve units, such as the 1st Armored Cavalry Division, have been testing a number of experimental robotic armored vehicles. These tanks have proven their ability to travel on difficult terrain. They will be a valuable addition to the reserve force.
The Russian army has been building its own robot vehicles. While it is unclear how many of these are currently in service, a video released by the Russian government depicts a mixed crew of human and robot scouts feeding information to the main force. Russia will eventually field an extensive number of armed robotics.
It's unclear how these robotic tanks will integrate into U.S. forces, but it is probable that they are tested in 2022. Lessons learned from the mock conflict will help shape the development of these machines. The future robotic force is already shaping up much quicker than anticipated by officials.