US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
defensenews.com
US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
1–10 of 52 posts
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#2It sounds like they want to shrink the size of a brigade and say they've replaced the soldiers by robot but actually they'll just be shrinking (Edit: It's not like I'd contest the decision to shrink brigade size. The main thing is the claim this will be replacing soldiers with robots, seems like just overly bold PR.).
Unless there were a whole lot of articles on robots working outside of rather specialized situations like defusing bombs (where I think a lot of the operation involve remote control activity, not autonomous activity).
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#3Interesting.
The part that piqued my interest most is that weight is a huge factor in efficiency for the military (kind of surprised I didn't think of that before).
By replacing 25% of a brigade with robots, the army could substantially reduce weight without a commensurate decrease in battlefield effectiveness. This would lower fuel costs, increase combat readiness (fewer people to drill) and make time-to-battlefield far shorter.
I would think that in the tooth-to-tail equation, robots have a substantial place at both sides. As the saying goes, “Amateurs think about tactics, but professionals think about logistics.” (General Robert H. Barrow, USMC) and making the logistics chain more effective could translate into an overwhelming advantage.
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#4It sounds like they want to shrink the size of a brigade and say they've replaced the soldiers by robot but actually they'll just be shrinking (Edit: It's not like I'd contest the decision to shrink brigade size. The main thing is the claim this will be replacing soldiers with robots, seems like just overly bold PR.). Unless there were a whole lot of articles on robots working outside of rather specialized situations…
After a decade at war, you need to wind things down and consolidate to get rid of the waste that's accumulated.
The Army probably has all sorts of problems because they weren't prepared for urban warfare in 2001, and they got prepared by welding armor to everything that they have. Humvees and trucks with an extra ton of armor lose at least that much cargo capacity.
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#5It sounds like they want to shrink the size of a brigade and say they've replaced the soldiers by robot but actually they'll just be shrinking (Edit: It's not like I'd contest the decision to shrink brigade size. The main thing is the claim this will be replacing soldiers with robots, seems like just overly bold PR.). Unless there were a whole lot of articles on robots working outside of rather specialized situations…
Well the US military has been operating at a large level as though it's actually larger then it is, which came to the fore after Iraq when it was obvious you can't occupy the country with the standing forces.
Shrinking brigade sizes lets you have 12 divisions in a 10 division army (to paraphrase former Gen. Shinseki - the guy who called what would happen in Iraq perfectly and got forced out for it) - the real question is whether robotics actually let you act that way.
The only way I can really see it working would be if we're talking about Boston Dynamics types things that are armed in some way. You could certainly pair every soldier with an armed ammo-mule bot and achieve some gains in firepower (a lot of small unit tactics is less about precise shooting then simply blanketing a given area with rounds).
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#6Mobile car bombs? Is that what these are, ultimately?
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#7Sounds like they are talking about automating supply chain convoys. Robotization of the military is kind of a mixed bag. One one hand it is great if it makes for a more cost efficient and effective military. On the other hand if it sanitizes the costs of war in the eyes of the public (does anyone care when a drone gets shot down?) or just funnels more money to beltway bandits then we'd be better off w/o it.
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#8Interesting. The part that piqued my interest most is that weight is a huge factor in efficiency for the military (kind of surprised I didn't think of that before). By replacing 25% of a brigade with robots, the army could substantially reduce weight without a commensurate decrease in battlefield effectiveness. This would lower fuel costs, increase combat readiness (fewer people to drill) and make time-to-battlefield…
Because robot do not need fuel, maintenance, or spare parts.
If you replace 25% of brigade with robots, you will need to add 2-3% of personnel minimum for maintenance of those robots. And that is before spare parts and supplies. And you definitely need to train people to work together with robots, so I think drilling time will actually go up.
So while, there will be reduction and weight and potentially highly increased performance, I do not think it will be pronounced in first few generations.
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#9Sounds like they are talking about automating supply chain convoys. Robotization of the military is kind of a mixed bag. One one hand it is great if it makes for a more cost efficient and effective military. On the other hand if it sanitizes the costs of war in the eyes of the public (does anyone care when a drone gets shot down?) or just funnels more money to beltway bandits then we'd be better off w/o it.
It could be argued that advances in the technology of warfare have sanitized war to a degree, as well as made combat more survivable, than in the past. Surely the more machines and fewer humans the better?
Re: US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots
#10Mobile car bombs? Is that what these are, ultimately?
I didn't read that in the article anywhere...