These Gun-Shooting Robot Vehicles Are the Future of Urban War
Matt Novak
·5 min read
The unmanned Small Multi-purpose Equipment Transport being demonstrated by the U.S. Army at Fort Irwin, California. - Gif: U.S. Army video by Spc. Samarion Hicks
The U.S. military has spent the past month running exercises at various locations in California to prepare for “future war-winning readiness.” And the photos being officially released include plenty of robot dogs, augmented reality headsets, resupply drones, and at least one mysterious AI-driven vehicle. There’s also an eight-wheeled, all-electric robot vehicle that packs quite a bit of firepower, as you can see in the GIF above.
The Army Futures Command hosted senior Army leaders and allies from around the world to witness this so-called “human machine integration demonstration” at Fort Irwin in California in recent weeks. Guests included military leaders from the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, and Japan.
The exercises, part of an annual demonstration called Project Convergence Capstone 4, weren’t just about experimenting with American capabilities for an international audience. U.S. allies also brought their own machines—robots that wouldn’t look out of place in what used to be considered futuristic sci-fi.
The images that have been released by the U.S. Army, including the video below, are a great reminder that some version of a Terminator-style future with autonomous land vehicles sporting high-powered weapons is probably way closer than we think. In fact, it seems to already be here in some ways, even if these new exercises are being billed as “experiments.”
Click through the slideshow to see the photos that have been recently released by the U.S. Army, including plenty of images from the Army National Training Center at Fort Irwin where these lethal robots were recently tested.
Armed British Robot Vehicles
Two British unmanned, eight-wheeled, all-electric, all-terrain transport vehicles armed with autonomous weapon system from the Experimentation and Trails Group provide support to dismounted U.K. Soldiers in an urban environment as part of a human integration experiment at Fort Irwin, Calif, March 11, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Ivan Hernandez
AI Robot Vehicle
Robotic machine identified only as an “unmanned artificial intelligence vehicle” by the Army, without providing more details, photographed at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 18, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brahim Douglas
Ghost Robot Dog and the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET)
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, based out of Fort Moore, Ga., take part in a human machine integration demonstration using the Ghost Robotic Dog, and the U.S. Army Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) of new U.S. Army capabilities at Project Convergence - Capstone 4 in Fort Irwin, Calif., March 15, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samarion Hicks
Ghost Robot Dog
A Quadruped Ghost robotic dog is deployed as part of an urban assault during a series of Human Machine Integration experiments in a training environment as part of Project Convergence – Capstone 4 at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 16, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Marquis McCants
HIVE Drone System
The HIVE unmanned aircraft system prepares to take flight during a human machine integration experiment during Project Convergence – Capstone 4 at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 11, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gianna Chiavarone
British Robot Weapons System
A British unmanned, eight-wheeled, all-terrain transport vehicle armed with an autonomous weapon system by the U.K. Experimentation and Trails Group provides support to dismounted Soldiers in an urban environment as part of a human integration experiment at Fort Irwin, Calif, March 11, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Ivan Hernandez
Modular Counter-Small UAS System
A U.S. Army unmanned, eight-wheeled, all-electric, all-terrain platform with a modular counter-small UAS system with a human-in-the-loop operational system under the Family of Counter Unmanned System or FoCUS provides support to dismounted Soldiers in an urban training environment as part of a human integration experiment at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 18, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brahim Douglas
Augmented Reality
Gen. Randy George, Chief of Staff of the Army, tests new augmented reality technology during a series of human machine integration experiments as part of Project Convergence – Capstone 4 at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 18, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Maxwell Bass
Armed Robot Vehicle
Army Futures Command hosted U.S. Army senior leaders, Multinational partners, and allies to observe a human machine Integration demonstration including unmanned, eight-wheeled, all-electric, all-terrain transport vehicles, involving Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 316th Cavalry Brigade during Project Convergence - Capstone 4 at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 18, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brahim Douglas
Human-Machine Integration Tests
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, based out of Fort Moore, Ga., take part in a human machine integration experiment using the Ghost Robotic Dog during a demonstration of new U.S. Army capabilities at Project Convergence - Capstone 4 in Fort Irwin, Calif., March 17, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samarion Hicks
Unmanned Patient Transports
The Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport is deployed for casualty evacuation during an urban assault with Human Machine Integration at Project Convergence Capstone 4 at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 17, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Howard Lee
Humans in the Loop (For Now)
U.S. Army Pfc. Darren Campbell, infantryman assigned to the Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 316th Cavalry Brigade, operates a ground robot during the human machine integration experiment for Project Convergence – Capstone 4 in Fort Irwin, Calif., March 11, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. LaShic Patterson
Resupply Drone
The Tactical Resupply Vehicle-150 lands on the beach after a series of contested logistics experimentations from ship to shore as part of Project Convergence-Capstone 4 at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 29, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Howard Lee
Resupply Drones May Be Larger Than You Think
A Marine conducts experimentation utilizing the Tactical Resupply Vehicle-150 during Project Convergence - Capstone 4 at Camp Pendleton, CA on February 25, 2024. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Nathan Smith
Ghost-X Drone
The Ghost-X Unmanned Aircraft System awaits takeoff, during ongoing experimentation at Project Convergence - Capstone 2024, March 11, 2024, at Fort Irwin, Calif. - Photo: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Charlie Duke
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