Military robots refer to autonomous machines that can perform various functions on the battlefield, from carrying the soldiers’ weapons and gear to performing an attack themselves. The motivation for the implementation of military robots is improving combat strategies and ensuring even better protection for the soldiers. Additionally, they eliminate the emotional horrors associated with war by reducing the number of human deaths. With the $1 billion already spent on the expansion of such technology, the US Army is hopeful that the robots will become commonplace on the battlefield in the next five years. The functions of these robots will include identifying hazardous chemicals and detecting complex targets (reconnaissance).
The artificial intelligence technology employed in the robots will provide superiority over the human capabilities, thus, comprehensively improving the methods of attack. Furthermore, the Pentagon plans to implement various grades of bots, from light to heavy. The US Army has already commissioned an order for lightweight bots (fewer than 25 pounds), spending as much as $429.1 million US dollars. Midsized robots, costing $158.5 million, began service in late summer 2019. Their function primarily includes detecting a variety of hazardous threats.
With the substantial investment and the successful design of robot technology already on the way, it becomes apparent that robots will become a regular part of the battlefield in the next 5-10 years. It is hard to say when the robots will completely replace human soldiers, although, undoubtedly, in the near future. Before the total replacement happens, the US Army will need to ensure the safety and high precision of this technology alongside the human soldiers. Once they achieve consistency, the conversion can shift towards complete replacement.