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The Rise of the Machines

Like the tank in the Great War, new robotic and autonomous system (RAS) platforms have shown similar promise for the exploitation of rapid technological innovation in both the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. In the near future, RAS may help the U.S. Army resolve its most pressing battlefield dilemmas. For example, RAS provides a way to deliver wide ranging, protracted presence with a deployed force small enough to avoid creating friction as it operates in the midst of a foreign culture yet retain enough tactical and operational overmatch capability to remain credible.

RAS enables the Army to design military formations that are economical enough to leave in the field for an extended time. RAS enables the Army to equip forces to survive in environments replete with sensors, precision targeting, and cheap but effective weapons widely available to even the most common infantryman or insurgent. Finally, robotic platforms permit the Army to “bring mass back to the fight” by augmenting manned combat platforms with large numbers of lower cost semi-autonomous robotic systems.

Since leaders at the tactical level can accept more risk without a human onboard every combat platform, RAS can create better tactical options for Soldiers. When the risks are high, commanders will be able to balance the survivability of their Soldiers against the cheaper cost of expending machines. As technology improves, robotic capabilities will also improve and the procurement of these systems will become more affordable. This will permit the Army to procure larger numbers of these systems, displacing Soldiers to other important missions, and creating greater opportunities to exploit these new capabilities. For Force 2025 and beyond, the potential of robotic platforms to reshape how the U.S. Army fights is feasible. When paired with a small number of troops, or operating alone, RAS provides a long-term presence in an area of operations in a more economical and politically palatable way.

When paired with manned combat platforms operating in mutual support, semi-autonomous robotic wingman platforms may provide several capability enhancements. RAS platforms provide improved situational awareness without exposing human scouts to battlefield hazards. Situational awareness diminishes risk to Soldiers, who often must fight for information. Unmanned systems, operating between manned systems, enhance the maneuver formation’s ability to see and fight across extended distances. Army formations will operate widely dispersed while maintaining mutual support.

RAS capabilities will provide the Army with the ability to make contact with the enemy under favorable conditions and the ability to sustain high tempo operations at the end of extended and contested lines of communication. RAS platforms will provide the ability to establish and maintain security across wide areas and the ability to pose enemy forces with multiple dilemmas while reducing risk to our own Soldiers and units. Such an evolution in capability will require a commensurate shift in the creation of effective concepts and organizations designed to exploit these new technologies.

Future robotic technologies and unmanned ground systems (UGS), while not intended to replace Soldiers initially, will augment Soldiers and increase unit capabilities, situational awareness, mobility, speed of action, and ultimately extend the operational reach of units of all sizes. Artificial intelligence will enable the deployment of autonomous and semi-autonomous systems with the ability to learn. Automated decision aids will reduce the cognitive burden and help leaders make rapid decisions and process the large amount of data with the objective of providing relevant information to the point of need at the speed of war.

Artificial intelligence may allow robots and automated systems to act with increased autonomy. Robotics will enable the future force by extending the operational area of units of all sizes, contributing to force protection, and providing increased capabilities to maintain overmatch.

Use of unmanned platforms in mounted and dismounted maneuver formations leads to smaller, mobile, and transportable manned and unmanned vehicles, enabling greater expeditionary capability. UGS will be deployed to the support battalions to reduce manpower needs in expeditionary environments and conduct routine maintenance and autonomous re-supply operations. Decreasing the Soldier-to-robot controller ratio provides significant gains in unit effectiveness and manpower savings.

By designing easily deployable, modular systems with low maintenance demands, robotics adds capability options to commanders and reduces support demands as well. Connected to the reporting system and equipped to execute assigned tasks to support the maneuver force, UGS will be integral parts of a support structure that allows commanders to retain the initiative during high tempo decentralized operations.

Armor and cavalry formations conduct reconnaissance and security missions using RAS assets to protect follow-on BCT elements from various threats. Mounted scouts, augmented with their own vehicle-launched semi-autonomous UAS platforms, will detect various threats along the BCT axis of advance before follow on forces can be surprised or decisively engaged. Dismounted scouts, augmented with common light autonomous reconnaissance robotic sensors will use autonomous robotic ISR platforms. These RAS systems will “swarm” to feed real-time data to both mounted and dismounted scouts.

Individual squads and platoons employing micro and nano UAS, and UGS in urban terrain will likely make contact on their own terms, thus reducing the need for their formations to maintain a 6 to 1 attacker-to-defender ratio. Platoons and squads will use these systems to conduct ISR in three dimensions, including subterranean environments and complex urban structures, by simply establishing an RAS screen to protect the platoon’s movement. UAS sensor platforms loitering overhead, working with UGS platforms on the ground will provide integrated enhanced situational awareness and protection. Robotic wingmen RAS platforms will augment manned combat platforms, making use of autonomous navigation, sensors, and obstacle avoidance technologies developed and perfected under the AMAS and ACO programs.

Manned armored and mechanized platoons, with their robotic wingmen and optionally manned MPF platforms, will maneuver utilizing their assigned UAS and UGS to conduct route, zone, and area reconnaissance missions at ranges beyond line of sight of the platoon’s lead element, allowing them a better chance at making contact on their own terms. RAS platforms will enable maneuver units to mass effects rather than forces. Advanced tactical artificial intelligence programs linked with preventative threat detection sensors and programs will assist manned platforms and units with detecting the enemy, avoiding threats, and maneuvering both manned and unmanned platforms to positions of advantage.

Though DOD Directive 3000.09 officially prohibits the employment of lethal autonomous function in any RAS platform, the long-term vision for robotic wingman platforms projects RAS systems that are capable of performing nearly every other task autonomously including, navigation, obstacle avoidance, target sensing, tracking, and weapons orientation. All of these capabilities work together to enable integrated manned-unmanned teaming between manned combat vehicles and RAS to provide decisive overmatch against enemy grounds forces.

The long-term vision for supply chain management envisions sophisticated automated software that tracks status of vehicles, fuel, ammunition, and automated warehouses and robot-assisted supply nodes that predict and anticipate supply shortages and move the proper logistics and resources forward on time. Platoons and squads will enjoy extended range and duration of missions by incorporating robotic platforms that lighten the Soldiers’ load and free them to execute other missions outside of protecting routine supply runs.