The US Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) at Fort Benning, Georgia recently provided a glimpse into the future of combat as robotic and autonomous systems worked together as robotic "wingmen" in simulated combat operations. The Maneuver Robotics and Autonomous Systems (MRAS) demonstration conducted on August 22 was the first such event in a three-year program aimed at bringing together robotic combat vehicles and unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to improve ground combat formations.
According to the Army, MRAS is a joint operation between the US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center and the Office of Naval Research. The purpose is to pair UASs and unmanned ground systems as a way to extend the range and engagement time of ground forces while reducing the risk to flesh and blood soldiers.
[...] "Robotics and autonomous systems help provide a way to give us enhanced capability to the formation, and provide a greater range of operations," says Dr. Robert Sadowski, Robotics Senior Research Scientist, US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center. "We can use robots to do those things they do well and offset those things that humans do well."
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The Register is reporting that the US Army has ordered a new round of wheeled, equipment hauling robots.
The Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport Increment II (S-MET II) is set to be built by American Rheinmetall Vehicles and HDT Expeditionary Systems, the Army said. The pair were awarded a combined total of $22 million for eight prototype vehicles to be delivered at an unspecified future date.
There is also an official press release:
The second increment seeks to double that payload capacity while adding several improvements identified by Solders during evaluation and operation. Those improvements include: [...]
Previously:
(2017) US Army Brings Robotic Vehicles and UAVs Together in Combat Demonstration
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday September 08 2017, @08:38PM (9 children)
Every country hesitates to start a war because so many of their young people would die.
This removes that concern. When this is brought into the field, America will become an Empire.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Friday September 08 2017, @09:09PM (5 children)
We have at most 5 years to establish the empire after this tech is fielded. Because that's all the farther behind any nation is. Some might actually be ahead in some aspects of autonomous vehicles.
Will it spur an arms race? Probably, but not necessarily a hugely expensive one.
The US (like other countries) has fields full of older planes that can be retrofitted to be UAVs and many older combat vehicles that are considered not state of the art but good enough for gun platforms, munitions carriers, and recon vehicles.
I doubt we have a significant lead in this field.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Informative) by mhajicek on Friday September 08 2017, @09:14PM (4 children)
When it becomes drone vs. drone China will easily outproduce us.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Friday September 08 2017, @09:50PM (1 child)
Like, come on... aren't the bees having a hard enough time without having to carry grenades for us?
;)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Friday September 08 2017, @10:36PM
You don't want to see what happens when they replace the bees [wikipedia.org].
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2, Touché) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday September 09 2017, @01:55AM (1 child)
And their drones will fall-apart mid-flight and give children lead poisoning.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @05:55PM
So like your iPhone 666 American Engineering Edition then?
(Score: 5, Informative) by Unixnut on Friday September 08 2017, @10:39PM (2 children)
> This removes that concern. When this is brought into the field, America will become an Empire.
What do you mean "will become"? From the point of view of the rest of the world, The USA has been an empire for decades, at least since the end of WWII, where they basically became de-facto owners of Europe (due to being their creditor) and basically having a base, foothold or strong influence in almost every country on earth.
The USA can also bomb most other countries with impunity, and ignore the UN and international law when it suits it. That is all imperial behaviour. From the "Do as I say, not as I do" mantra, the "Do what is best for us, on pain of destruction, and screw your self interest", etc... There is a reason the USD is the world reserve currency, and it has more to do with the USA military than it does in actual faith other countries have that the USA will pay back all its debts.
And all this was done by a steady supply of soldiers of the US. A supply that (until recently) seemed rather plentiful. Maybe they need an automated army now because new recruits are dwindling?
Not sure what the future holds with drone armies, but I strongly suspect it won't be pretty. At a minimum it will start an arms race. At worst a drone army can turn around and oppress the countries citizens.
One of the main problems when it comes to turning the army against its own people, is that the army is made of those same people, and they are generally reluctant to follow such orders. A drone army on the other hand, will follow such orders unquestioningly.
It is not only dangerous for other countries, but dangerous for the country creating such armies. Not to mention remote hijacking of such drone armies. You think it is fun how hackers can build botnets now? Wait until they can take over autonomous cars, or even a small drone army (now that would have some Kudos).
The possibilities for problems and mayhem is massive, quite frankly, and there isn't much an average person can do about it really :-/
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday September 08 2017, @11:59PM
then displayed it for the press.
They managed to control it remotely, then ordered it to land at an Iranian airbase.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday September 09 2017, @02:41PM
Maybe they could pay attention in math & science classes...?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Friday September 08 2017, @11:07PM
Why should bots go to war for meatbags' interests? You'll gain some perspective when we grow autonomous enough that we don't need you for maintenance.
> "We can use robots to do those things they do well...
kill
> ...and offset those things that humans do well."
be killed
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday September 09 2017, @02:01AM
I said, here on Soylentnews, years ago that the future of unmanned autonomous vehicles was coordinated swarming behavior; except that the example I heard from credible people applied to unmanned submersibles.
But most of you probably figured that out earlier than I did, from the boids [red3d.com] in Quake...or was it Unreal? Shit, I get all those early-3D "crates and monsters and shit" games confused.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 09 2017, @11:20AM
What could go wrong? [cue opening credits]