(Washington, D.C) Robots fired machine guns, grenade launchers and anti-tank missiles at a range of targets during a Robotic Combat Vehicle live-fire warfare preparation exercise, a key step toward integrating a new fleet of armed ground drones to support future Army combat operations.
The addition of these kinds of robots, with humans of course maintaining decision-making authority regarding the use of lethal force, continues to greatly reshape Army tactics, maneuver formations and cross-domain combat operations.
“We actually shot live bullets off of these robots. It’s really exciting what we’ve proven out thus far, not only are the robots working extremely well, the payloads are accurate and effective,” Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman, Director, Next Generation Cross Functional Team, Army Futures Command, told The National Interest in an interview.
Robot Combat Vehicles: Light & Medium
The live fire exercises were with the Robot Combat Vehicle Light and Robotic Combat Vehicle Medium, two interrelated, yet distinct Army robot efforts intended to introduce new levels of autonomy, weapons attack and surveillance for ground troops advancing to contact with an enemy. During the live fire tests, the sensor, payload and weapons integration performance exceeded expectations, Coffman explained.
“We are seeing an increased stability or increased range that we didn’t think was possible previously,” he added.
