Robots have been a part of the U.S. Military for quite some time, primarily serving support roles. Robots have been aiding in bomb disposal and other security operations and have recently been adapted to perform medical jobs. Unmanned drones have been flying over war zones to provide up to date intel. But not until Iraq have we seen robots, armed with automatic weapons and mortars, sent into combat.
Last month the Army sent in 3 armed robots into the combat zone in Iraq. They were converted from other robots, called "Talons", that were originally designed for bomb disposal. Engineers charged with creating the robots removed the arm of one of these bots and replaced it with a gun turret turning them into assault drones. The new combat ready versions are called SWORDS, or Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems.
We've all seen the images of killer robots in movies like The Terminator (starring the Governor of California, Schwarzenegger), and the robots sent into Iraq do have an eerie resemblance to the early versions of the robots that would eventually try and take over our world. In the movie, that is. Tordillos, one of the people who built the SWORDS, said the robots can't shoot on their own. They require a briefcase sized controller and with the flip of a switch can be rebooted into safe mode. I know I feel safer.
18 more robots are scheduled to report for duty in March or April. The model, called a "SWORD", is armed with a M249 machine gun mounted on a tank tread and stands 2 feet 6 inches tall. The Talons are versatile and can be equipped with four 66-mm rockets or six 40-mm grenades, as well as an M240 or M249 machine gun. They also sport 4 cameras including night vision and infrared allowing them to operate day or night.
A new version is in the works that will be able to pick up wounded soldiers, place them in a stretcher, and take them back to Military forces under the protection of the robots armored skin. We've already been using unmanned drones that fly over battled fields to provide more accurate, real time intel during combat situations. The government wants more in place to help coordinate both human assets as well as other unmanned units.
It's clear that robots will continue to play a growing role in the future of the U.S. Army. It won't be long before other countries follow suit. China, a world leader in robotics, would be a natural choice for using robotic assets. Many experts worry that the use of remote controlled killing machines may dehumanize soldiers, both to those we use them against and those using them. I've always said that games, like those played on the Xbox and Playstation have been training the next generation of soldiers. It seems to be coming true. The new robots like the SWORDS will be controlled via joystick. My worry, as I'm sure is the concern of the experts, is that soldiers will see using the robots as some sort of game. It will take proper training to ensure the operators understand the mission they are on and the reality of what they're doing. It opens up a while new area of warfare that we haven't been part of yet.
The Military has been impressed with the robots so far. They have been incredibly accurate, hitting the bullseye 70 of 70 shots. It's not likely the military will give up on something that will ultimately save lives and improve our effectiveness in war. I think we will see more and more robots as part of our new lighter, leaner Army.
