General: 122 G.I.s Died Due To Lack Of Robots In Iraq
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Friday, 23 of October , 2009 at 12:44 am
What with today’s article on the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, I thought I’d provide you with a different perspective, from someone who has direct experience with robots in combat.
When Lieutenant General Rick Lynch was in Iraq, he lost 155 soldiers under his command. “80 percent of those soldiers didn’t have to die,” Lynch said, if more robotic systems had been available. “There’s got to be a sense of urgency. I am so tired of going to demonstrations of technology,” said Lynch. “The technology is there. We’ve got to get past the demonstrations and into the field.” Specifically, Lynch (who also holds a master’s degree in robotics from MIT) is looking for autonomous systems that can completely remove soldiers from the battlefield and replace them in convoy duties and surveillance missions. Lynch specified four applications in which he feels that robots are being underutilized with serious consequences, including convoy route clearance, IED hotspot monitoring, supply convoying, all of which is directed at minimizing the IED threat to soldiers.
When it comes to mounting weapons on semi-autonomous and fully autonomous robots, Lynch is very clear on what he thinks:
“There’s a resistance saying that armed ground robots are not ready for the battlefield. I’m not of that camp,” he told National Defense.
That includes the robot autonomously firing the weapon or, in other words, shooting without a human in the decision loop, he said. SWORDS never had that feature, and the idea of armed autonomous robots firing guns on the battlefield remains controversial. But Lynch was steadfast.
“I believe we can do automatic target recognition … to allow that capability. Autonomously,” he repeated.
…
“Every day, we try to make the lives of our Soldiers and their families better,” Lynch said. “And advocating unmanned systems technology is all part of it… Because in my mind, it is about saving lives.”
[ National Defense Magazine ] VIA [ Danger Room ]
Comments (3)
Category: Military
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Comment by Robotbling
Made Friday, 23 of October , 2009 at 2:27 am
I don’t think we’re ready to remove humans from the killing/shooting just yet. But I’m sure he’d be more than happy to test out the automatic target recognition on real people, so long as those people aren’t Americans.
IMO better intelligence is required in making the decisions about whether or not to go to war.
Comment by Robotbling
Made Friday, 23 of October , 2009 at 2:49 am
Here’s an interesting video from PBS on the subject of UAVs in Afghanistan being controlled remotely in Las Vegas:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/blog/2009/10/new-video-fighting-from-afar.html
PTSD develops in the soldiers who are essentially killing people through a game-like interface.
Comment by Ironman
Made Saturday, 24 of October , 2009 at 2:00 pm
Wired for War by P.W. Singer takes a good 400-500 page look at this issue. I’d recommend it. Thought provoking and well researched.
War is essentially a human interaction, and thus humans may always have to be involved.
