Aerospace firm BAE Systems is actively working with the Australian Military to equip two Armored Vehicle Personnel with an autonomous tech that could take off humans off the battlefield. The ongoing project is destined for completion by the end of October 2019. If completed, these will one of the first prototypes of APC to be used in active duty.
As connected and intelligent technologies are starting to impact military organizations around the world, the BAE Systems claims that the two M113 AS4 vehicles will be used to evaluate the possibility of deploying additional automated equipment in the near future. The ongoing experiment will also allow the Australian Army to test its Robotics and Autonomous Strategy.
Robotic & Autonomous Systems (RAS) Strategy of the Australian Army is a similar project designed to carry out a large number of automated tasks for the military, which includes logistics support and intelligence gathering for soldiers. The RAS Strategy focuses on evaluating artificial intelligence and robotics to understand the impact of emerging technology on the future battlefield.
According to the chief technology officer of the BAE Systems, Brad Yelland, the automated technology will prove a benchmark in accelerating the speed of action in a warfare environment. By using such high-tech vehicles such as APCs, the Australian military wants to increase the efficiency of response by outthinking and outmaneuvering the enemy.
This is not the first time that connected and intelligence technologies are used to evaluate future prospects of war. For instance, the British Army recently provided a $1.2 Million dollar contract to a software developer who specializes in virtual technology. The recent deal will help the British Army to understand and customize virtual reality to train soldiers on the battlefield. The final product will be used to train the soldiers in a scenario similar to the battlefield without exposing them to the threat. While it may be just like a real video game, the application of the software is taken very seriously by both stakeholders.
The pilot scheme will also include tests of a number of virtual reality applications such as headsets; avatars replicating the facial features of soldiers; and body shape, among other features. In fact, the software will offer each soldier a complete set of data analysis to better understand their actions and performance in the virtual reality world. Perhaps, these are the early signs of future military confrontations where robots will take on robots.
Dil Bole Oberoi
