The US army to test and tire unmanned combat vehicles in simulated battle
this year. A wargom that leaders called unprecedented and a big step toward
refining the hardware and software, that will one day enable rear robots to
take the battlefield.
In February 2022 the army tested an RCV-L demonstrator at the military
training facility. It's equipped with a Common Remotely Operated
Weapons Station-Javelin (CROWS-J) and a remote-controlled anti-tank missile
launcher that can target and destroy a tank from 1.5 miles away.
It also fires an M230lF lightweight 30 millimeters canon chain gun, an
extremely lethal rapid-fire gun.
Another demonstrator vehicle is the ripsaw m5. Once a star of reality
television but now owned by defense contractor Textron.
Textron added an XM813 Bushmaster 30 millimeter chain gun mounted in an
unmanned turret to the rip saw and is supplying examples for RCV-M trials.
Ripsaw would probably be best paired with the army striker brigade combat
teams and their wheeled armored vehicles.
Robotic combat vehicle light (RCV-L) will operate among infantry and
engineers carrying supplies and heavy weapons.
The RCV-M (Robotic Combat Vehicle Medium) and RCV-H (Robotic Combat Vehicle
Heavy) will be larger heavier vehicles operating alongside main battle tanks
and infantry fighting vehicles.
The RCV-L is a diesel-electric hybrid vehicle with a gross weight of roughly
85,000 pounds and a maximum payload of 7000 pounds. The vehicle can travel
at a speed as high as 40 miles per hour.
The RCV-M is also a diesel-electric hybrid vehicle and has a gross weight of
25,000 pounds. This vehicle can travel at high speeds of over 25 miles per
hour and is also equipped with a 30 millimeters cannon which is controlled
remotely.
RCV Heavy is the least clearly defined, it's meant to be a robotic tank with
firepower and survivability comparable to the M1 Abrams but at less than
half the weight 20 to 30 tons, versus 60 to 70 for abrams depending on the
model and armor kit.
But why does the RCV-Heavy need to be as survivable as an M1 tank? the
heavies aren't mean to operate far ahead of the manned force but alongside,
it's intended as a wingman maneuvering with the man tanks.
So it has to withstand the same intensity of attacks, you don't want a
barrage of mid-caliber cannon fire that can strip the m1s of their RCV-H
escort.
Quadruple robots are one of the most interesting developments in robotics in
recent years. They're small nimble and able to traverse environments that
frustrate wheeled machines. So of course it was only a matter of time until
someone put a gun on one.
The vision 60 unit built by us firm ghost robotics that's been equipped with
a custom gun by small arms specialist sword international. It seems the gun
itself dubbed the spur special-purpose unmanned rifle is designed to be
fitted onto a variety of robotic platforms. It has a 30 times optical zoom,
thermal camera for targeting in the dark, and an effective range of 1200
meters.
The machine was shown off for the first time at the association of the
united states army's 2021 annual conference earlier this week. The
conferences bills itself as a land power exposition and professional
development forum held in Washington D details about the partnership between
ghost and sword are unclear.
But ghost's quadruple robots are already being tested by the US military,
last year.
The US army isn't the only ground combat force to operate uncrewed ground
vehicles. Russia's ground forces operate the urine 9. A robotic combat
vehicle that mounts a 30-millimeter gun and four Ataka anti-tank
missiles.
Urine 9 was reportedly tested in combat in Syria in 2018 and though the
results were less than spectacular some would say horrible Russia is forging
ahead and creating its first euro 9 combat unit.
Meanwhile, the people's liberation army ground forces are also known as the
Chinese army are testing a number of uncrewed ground vehicles including the
Norinco Sharpclaw and the Dragon Horse.
Robots have the potential to revolutionize the way we conduct ground combat
operations. whether that's giving increased firepower to a dismounted
patrol, breaching an enemy fighting position, or providing chemical,
biological radiological nuclear, and explosive reconnaissance.
Envision these vehicles provides commanders more time and space for
decisions and reduces risk to soldiers.
Research into uncrewed ground vehicles will eventually succeed and robots
will take their place alongside human ground forces. Despite the hurdles,
there's a strong incentive for armies to get this right robotic vehicle are
more cost-effective than crude vehicles and are quicker to build.
The army that gets it right first will get the most bang for its buck while
reducing its own casualties on the battlefield
