Robotics: Military Applications for Special Operations Forces

摘要

New technology may be able to help answer the cries to reduce casualties resulting from friendly fire and collateral damage, as well as assist the military in performing urban operations. Unmanned vehicles, whether they operate in the air, on land, or at sea, are one means to get aircrews, soldiers, marines, and sailors out of harm's way and are a key driver in an upcoming revolution in military affairs for all services. The major objective of this paper is to bring attention to Tactical Mobile Robots (TMR) and to cultivate an enthusiasm for employing them correctly to help get U.S. troops out of harm's way and on the winning side of battles. This study focuses primarily on the use of TMRs in the special operations environment. Topics covered include current and immediate TMR capabilities; key logistics concerns regarding maintenance, supply, and transportation; and two possible scenarios, one in an unconstrained battlefield and the other in an urban environment. The first scenario is a combat undertaking using robotic platforms in an unconstrained battlefield to determine the feasibility of an airstrip for a Special Operations Forces mission. The second scenario portrays how TMRs could be used in an urban environment to help remedy a hostage situation. The data for the paper were collected primarily via interviews and eye-witnessed experiments. A concluding section highlights a few barriers in TMR technology that must be addressed if unmanned platforms are to keep pace with congressional orders. (14 figures, 18 refs.).