AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS - A NEW PATH FOR THE MILITARY AND INDUSTRY

摘要

War always drives invention, and today's wars are no different. Recent conflicts are increasingly driving the development of more and more capable robotic and autonomous systems. Autonomous systems are being used extensively in current conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine including many types of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and increasingly, robotic vehicles. Some of these are armed and some are used purely in an unarmed capacity, but their use is proliferating fast. The necessary technologies are widely available. They are being used not only by forces working with Russia or with the United States and its allies, but also by Daesh and other groups without access to nation state capabilities. Much of what is required can be accomplished with a combination of commercial products and software based on open source modules, which are then 'kluged' together to deliver militarised capabilities.