Abstract
This paper views the theme of robotics in the military domain from a strategic perspective, bearing in mind the new paradigm of security and defense, where robots will have an increasing intervention. Considering the trilogy that strategy comprehends—goals, means and threats, three fundamental topics are approached: (i) the need to work at political, strategical, operational and tactical levels (ii) the role of robots in the new security and defense environment (iii) the importance of incorporating robots in the military formation. As a conclusion, this paper also highlights the importance of introducing the major issues associated with robots, from artificial intelligence to robot ethics, in the curricula, research and training carried out at military schools with the purpose of preparing military commanders for a future where robots will most likely have a prominent role.
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Notes
- 1.
UAVs (drones) are not yet classified as robots according to NATO (2015).
- 2.
IED—Improved explosive devices. In Iraq it became the leading cause of casualties among US troops as well as Iraqi people. In response, the Pentagon soon was spending more than 6.1 billion dollars to counter IEDs in Iraq. The merit goes to the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team who saved many lives (with the help of robots).
- 3.
The Big Dog is a military robot project that is being developed by Boston Dynamics, becoming a kind of “mule-without-head” load. This robot can carry up to 180 kg in its structure; in addition, it reacts to movements around it, not falling when pushed or slipping, managing to walk on any terrain (including ice). It is already used by the military in some places in the world to transport equipment and in the future it will be marketed.
- 4.
In October 2007, a robot (antiaircraft equipment Oerlikon GDF-005) killed 9 people and injured 14 others seriously in a test performed on a military base in South Africa (Lahotlha). The cause was software failures.
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Borges, J.V. (2017). Robots and the Military: A Strategic View. In: Aldinhas Ferreira, M., Silva Sequeira, J., Tokhi, M., E. Kadar, E., Virk, G. (eds) A World with Robots. Intelligent Systems, Control and Automation: Science and Engineering, vol 84. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46667-5_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46667-5_15
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