The military has more than its fair share of problems. Those on the right are constantly accused of being white supremacists simply because a few members of the GOP were veterans who were also a part of the January 6 riots. Those who suffer from PTSD are more likely to commit suicide or experience deep depression once they part from the military. And, there are countless other issues that active duty and veterans face depending on what they are exposed to throughout their military career.
What if we could just take the human factor out? Then, we don’t have to worry about paying out too many benefits. We don’t have to worry about casualties of war. We simply don’t have to worry about the military personnel.
Military robots are a potential for the future. Although human personnel will always be necessary, the possibility of robots may be entering the military sooner than any of us imagined.
Robot Combat Vehicles (RCVs) are already being fast-tracked by the Army. Soldiers will direct these robotic vehicles so that they’re able to forward surveillance, destroy tanks, and carry ammunition. It could be the game-changer that the Army needs – and it’s part of their modernization strategy.
When we consider how there are many other countries promoting their modern and futuristic options for warfare, including China and North Korea, we need everything we can think of.
The Army’s military robots will be hitting the field in 2022. Soldiers will be responsible for providing valuable feedback on such things as the effectiveness of the robots as well as how they can be refined so that they are capable of being utilized in warfare operations. After all, it’s a lot easier (and safer) to deploy robots to gather intelligence on the battlefield than risking the lives of soldiers.
Service Officials explained to National Interest that “prototypes of the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle Program-Medium (RCV-M) will be sent forward to units for in-depth, hands-on soldier assessments called ‘touchpoints.’” Who better to offer recommendations than those who are already out in the field?
While many people would likely complain that robots are taking their jobs, soldiers are more than happy to let robots do this kind of recon. After all, there will always be the need for soldiers to have boots on the ground. But, if they don’t have to get volun-told to get out there and risk their lives, they’re happier to be a part of the Army.
The tech guys can only get the robots so far without having the soldiers themselves showing what will and will not work out in the field. No one wearing a pocket protector is going to strap on a helmet and do any field testing. The soldier touchpoints ensure that the RCVs work as well as they can – and it’s all the better so that soldiers know that they can rely on the RCVs to get the job done. Otherwise, they’re putting themselves in the line of fire anyway – and that just means that the robots were for show.
According to Lt. Colonel Brandon Kelley, the Modernization Team Lead for Army Public Affairs, “Soldier engagements can help pinpoint end-user issues that may otherwise be overlooked and confirm or dispel the need for development teams to address real or perceived technological issues.”
Well, it sounds like the Army is all over this. It’s a breath of fresh air knowing that we’ve got robots heading to the battlefield. With all of the tech being promoted by other countries, the next war could be robot versus robot…and we need to make sure that we’ve addressed all potential issues.
