The rise of robots in defence is a cause for celebration for those in the industry, as well as for ethical concern in others. Advanced robotics projects have been making the headlines, and anyone who's seen the French/English TV version of The War of the Worlds will find the French military's trial robot dog terrifyingly familiar.
Robot manufacturers claim that such robots will never be armed, and will be used only to support and augment human activities rather than as automated aggressors, although this is a fine line that may easily be breached. There are, however, cogent and convincing reasons for deploying robots in defence, particularly regarding the safety and protection of human combatants.
Why Use Robots In The Defence Industry?
In the first instance, it's cheaper and safer to put robots into the field than human beings. They don't require food or water, protective clothing, sleep, or stress relief, so they almost entirely do away with the need for a quartermaster and resupply chain. After the initial outlay involved in designing and building robots, this will greatly reduce the costs of provisioning an operation. Unmanned vehicles are also often safer for humans than those which require a driver or crew, and can save hugely on operational expenses. For example, the US defence agency's autonomous tracking vessel, Sea Hunter, is estimated to save some $680,000 per day in running costs, as against the expense of a crewed navy destroyer performing the same task.
RESILIENCE
Robots & unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are generally far more robust and resilient than a human being. They are able to venture into hazardous environments such as fires, mines, underwater operations and other environments that are simply not possible for humans, including space. Humanoid robots have already been into space, and it's a logical, if frightening, step to send them next onto a battlefield. Once a robot has been equipped to hand