Ground combat robots are not coming fast, but inevitablyGround-based unmanned systems, or simply robots, are not developing as fast as their "flying counterparts", that is, UAVs.
But even here the trend is obvious: machines will increasingly replace people on the battlefield.
Currently, the main areas of robot action are radiation, chemical and biological protection, various types of reconnaissance, fighting fires, mines and explosive devices, transporting people (including evacuation of the wounded) and cargo.
The development of combat robots is still somewhat behind the development of auxiliary machines, which, however, is natural. Already created combat robots are mainly used to solve relatively simple tasks (primarily for the protection of stationary objects), and not for use on the field of combined arms combat.
As in the case of UAVs, the problem of ensuring completely reliable communication with the operator or the availability of an autonomous action program ensuring that the robot does not get out of control has not been solved for combat ground robots. Moreover, it is more difficult to carry out remote control of a ground robot than a UAV – due to the presence of terrain folds and a much shorter line-of-sight range.
BIG DOGSAttempts to create remote-controlled combat vehicles in a number of countries (including the USSR) were conducted in the pre-war period, but they did not bring real success.
This process resumed in the 1960s. At the same time, robots in the military began to appear only in the XXI century, and the volume of their supplies is still incomparable (several orders of magnitude lower) with the supply of UAVs (and even an order of magnitude lower than the supply of marine unmanned systems). This is explained by these control problems, as well as by the fact that economically ground robots are much less profitable than UAVs: they are not as cheap compared to classic ground combat equipment as drones are compared to airplanes and helicopters.
During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US Armed Forces received several thousand sapper/reconnaissance robots, of which up to 10% were lost. The most popular models were small-sized and fairly simple in design robots "Markbot" and "Packbot". The latter, in addition to mines, could detect snipers' positions.
The further development of the "Packbot" was a much larger and heavier machine "Warrior-700/710". Having a mass of 130-160 kg, it is capable of transporting the same "Packbot". "Warrior" is able to make passages in minefields and wire fences, climb stairs, has a manipulator arm, can carry a machine gun.
The Talon robot weighing up to 70 kg is very widely used, which, in addition to reconnaissance equipment, can also carry a machine gun and an automatic grenade launcher. On the basis of the "Talon", a MAARS robot weighing up to 170 kg has been created, which has a powerful manipulator. The mine-fighting robot ANDROS has similar dimensions.
At the same time, several types of small-sized robots remained in service: "Recon Scout", "Fest Bow", "Spike Robot", "Dragon Runner" weighing from 1.3 to 9 kg (all of them can be thrown over obstacles with their hands). Their task is to scout the area (including in urban conditions) using video and infrared cameras. The Dragon Runner is also equipped with a manipulator.
The main disadvantage of all these robots is the short range at which they can be controlled (and receive information from them): less than 1 km.
Another direction in the development of ground robots is the creation of unmanned vehicles, which, as a rule, can become universal platforms for placing various equipment and weapons. Such machines have a mass of hundreds of kilograms or even several tons.
At the same time, the question arises whether such machines should have constructive protection (armor). The lack of armor reduces the cost and increases mobility, but dramatically reduces survivability on the battlefield. Its presence, accordingly, creates the opposite situation. It is quite difficult to find a compromise solution.
In the USA, transport and multi-purpose vehicles-robots "Crusher", APD, SMSS, "Gladiator", "Camel", "Mule", MTT, as well as "Titan" (together with Estonia) have been created. None of them has been brought to mass production yet.
Biomorphic walking robots "Big Dog" and "Alpha Dog" are widely known. They were supposed to be used to carry cargo for infantry units and Special Operations Forces (SSO). However, as it turned out, the infantry does not need such vehicles (it has BMP, APC and cars), and the robot turned out to be too noisy and clumsy for the MTR. Therefore, now robot dogs are supposed to be used to guard stationary objects in their own rear.
An anthropomorphic robot Atlas was also created. His height is 188 cm, shoulder width – 76 cm, weight – about 150 kg. Obviously, this development is purely experimental in nature and is unlikely to receive practical application in the foreseeable future.
The Black Knight, which is a 10-ton "mini-tank" (more precisely, the "mini–BMP" M2 "Bradley"), equipped with a 25-mm or 30-mm cannon and a machine gun paired with it, should become purely combat. According to a similar concept, the robot "Ripso M5" was created. It also has a mass of 10 tons, a speed of up to 65 km/h, can carry small-caliber guns, machine guns, Javelin anti-tank missile systems, reconnaissance UAVs.
Combat robots are being developed quite actively in Israel. First of all, these are patrol cars for the protection of various objects or borders. Robots "Si Shut", "Segev", as well as reconnaissance and sapper small-sized MTGR, DOGO, TIGR, IRIS, transport PROBOT were created here.
It should be noted the 12-kilogram combat robot "Viper", armed with a specially created version of the submachine gun "Uzi" with a laser sight. He is able to operate inside buildings, including climbing stairs. Another combat robot is the "Guardian".
Estonia has developed a 12-tonne, unpowered Tour-X platform with a payload weight of up to 3 tons. On its basis, it is possible to create a family of combat vehicles equipped with various weapons and equipment.
In France, families of light reconnaissance robots "Cobra" and "Nerva" have been created, these machines can interact with UAVs, transmitting information to the operator through them. In Japan, the development of robots has significantly intensified in connection with the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The Helios and Queens reconnaissance robots were created here, as well as the Kuratas combat robot equipped with two machine guns and two manipulators. The RCLCV combat robot, which can be equipped with machine guns and/or hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (RPGs), was developed in Taiwan. A stationary combat robot (automatic turret) "Samsung SGR-1" has been created in the Republic of Korea to protect the border with the DPRK. China has created reconnaissance and transport robots "Linxi", "Raptor", "Snow", "Leopard-10", "Bot", "Sharp Clo" (very close in appearance to the American MAARS). Of particular note is the robot "Da Go" ("Big Dog"). It is built according to the same concept of a walking biomorphic apparatus as the American "Big Dog". At the same time, it is unclear whether this robot has been adopted.
A number of heavy (weighing several tons) engineering robot machines have been created in Croatia. These are, in particular, the MV-4 and MV-10 mine-fighting vehicles and the MVF-5 fire truck. The first one turned out to be especially successful, it was purchased by the US ground forces under the name M160, and in Russia a robot car "Uran-6" was developed on its basis. In addition, the "Uran-14" machine was created in Russia on the basis of the MVF-5. In 2021, a Komodo machine was demonstrated in Croatia, designed for conducting RCB reconnaissance and solving various engineering tasks, including fire extinguishing and decontamination. Komodo's weight is 17 tons, the speed is up to 30 km/h. At the same time, the range of effective radio control is only 1.5 km.
In Russia, in addition to two "Urans" of Croatian origin, universal medium-sized robots MRK-27, Soratnik, Platforma-M have been developed, capable of carrying machine guns, automatic machine-gun grenade launchers (AGS), RPGs, rocket-propelled infantry flamethrowers (RPO), anti-tank missile systems (MRK-27 and Platforma-M" can also be used in a mine-resistant version). Heavier machines of the same purpose are "Nerekhta" and "Uran-9".
According to the concept of a biomorphic robot (similar to the American and Chinese "Big Dogs"), a "Lynx" is being developed. Reconnaissance and engineering vehicles include "Cadet", "Monitor Lizard", RTK-05, "Tornado", "Boar", "Grasshopper", "Mongoose".
"Uran-6" and "Uran-9" were tested during the fighting in Syria, and these tests cannot be called successful. Nevertheless, according to the results of these tests, the "Urans", after appropriate modifications, will go into service with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. "Uran-6" – as a sapper machine, 12-ton "Uran-9" – as a combat robot armed with a 30 mm cannon, 7.62 mm machine gun, several ATGM "Attack" and flamethrowers "Bumblebee-M". Approximately the same set of weapons (but with a "Cornet" instead of "Attack") is supposed to have a 7-ton combat robot "Companion".
Belarus has developed a combat robot "Adunok" on the BRDM-2 chassis and a small-sized combat robot "Bogomol".
KILLER ROBOTSIn the USA and the USSR/
Russia has tried and is trying to create robots (both engineering and combat) based on tanks, but it is difficult to call them successful. Apparently, Russia came closer to the goal, where the Assault combat robot was created on the chassis of the T-72B3 tank. It will be armed with a shortened 125-mm cannon (for conducting combat operations in the city), as well as, in various versions, a 30-mm cannon, Bumblebee flamethrowers and even 220-mm unguided missile systems (NURS; obviously, according to the type of flamethrower multiple launch rocket system TOS-1). Perhaps a robotic version of the newest T-14 Armata tank will be created.
On the chassis of the BMP-3, a combat robot "Udar" is being created with a 30-mm cannon, a Cornet ATGM and its own helicopter-type reconnaissance UAV. It is clear that a robot based on an IFV will have much lower security than a tank. "On the Ukrainian fronts," however, we do not see any of this.
It should be noted that in this case, the issue of maintaining stable communication with robot tanks is especially important. Moreover, at considerable distances, because if the communication range does not exceed 1-2 km, the creation of a robot tank loses its meaning. In addition, for such large combat robots in terms of weight and dimensions, the issues of maintenance and transportation over long distances will become a serious separate problem.
In fact, if you use the term "robot" completely correctly, none of the listed machines is such. All of them are controlled by operators remotely and cannot work autonomously (or are capable of doing so on an extremely limited scale).
However, when creating fully autonomous systems, there is the mentioned technical problem of the machine getting out of control. And there is an even more serious philosophical and ethical problem of granting a machine the right to kill a person (a decisive step towards the destruction of humanity).
In addition, the problem of group use of ground robots has not yet been solved (which has already been done for UAVs and marine unmanned systems).
In the medium term, it is planned to create transport and combat robots capable of forming and guarding transport columns. In the longer term, it is possible to create "personal" robots for each soldier (especially an infantryman or an MTR fighter), and then replace people with robots on the battlefield. But to do this, it will be necessary to solve the above technical and ethical problems. And if the first ones can be solved, then the second ones are unlikely (" Robots at war or a robot war ?", "HBO", 09.03.18).
Military ground robots are still exotic (except, perhaps, sapper machines). The vast majority of the samples described above are purely experimental or are used on a very limited scale.
However, there is no doubt that the situation will change rapidly, as people are less willing to fight and die. As a result, they will all be killed by robots created by them.
Alexander KhramchikhinAlexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.