Swarms of Militarized Robots to Hit Battlefields, Could Spark Modern Day Arms Race

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Swarms of Militarized Robots to Hit Battlefields, Could Spark Modern Day Arms Race

Teams of interconnected robots will change the way America and other countries fight their wars, providing them with the ability to conduct “suicidal missions.”

By Adam Kredo, The Washington Free Beacon - Filed Nov 06, 2014

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Swarms of highly intelligent militarized robots are predicted to hit the battlefield in the near future and could spark a modern day arms race, according to a report released Monday by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

Teams of interconnected robots will change the way America and other countries fight their wars, providing them with more range and the ability to conduct “suicidal missions” without risk to living humans, according to the report, entitled, “Robotics on the Battlefield Part II: The Coming Swarm.”

The study predicts that in the very near future, advances in technology will allow “swarms of robotic systems” to effect “dramatic, disruptive change to military operations”—and that the United States must significantly step up its focus on these technologies or risk losing its status as the world’s preeminent fighting force.

“Swarms of robotic systems can bring greater mass, coordination, intelligence, and speed to the battlefield, enhancing the ability of warfighters to gain a decisive advantage over their adversaries,” the report states.

While the United States and other major powers have made great advances in unmanned technologies—such as drones and other remotely piloted devices—the report predicts that global militaries will soon enter a race to perfect the tactic known as “swarming,” in which droves of militarized robots act together on the battlefield.

“Many of the game-changing innovations that enable swarming … will be widely available to a range of actors,” the reports states.

However, severe U.S. defense budget cuts known as sequestration threaten to stymie America’s investment into these critical new technologies and could leave the country vulnerable to enemies, according to the report.

“Today the U.S. military faces a pernicious cycle of ever rising platform costs and shrinking quantities,” it states. “As a result, the number of combat ships and aircraft in the U.S. inventory has steadily declined, even during periods of significant growth in defense spending.”

Read the full story at The Washington Free Beacon