Soldiers to Fight Alongside Autonomous APCs

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The United States Army has made plans to arm combat soldiers with remote controlled ground vehicles in an effort to study to see how autonomous combat vehicles can act as a force multiplier for small combat units out in the field. 

Next March, the U.S. Army has made plans for soldiers to operate from modified Bradley Fighting Vehicles called Mission Enabler Technologies-Demonstrators (MET-D) as part of a training test. The MET-Ds are equipped with a 25 millimeter main gun and 360 degree situational awareness sensors.

Testing will be a three phase operation. The first phase of testing involves two MET-Ds and four robotic combat vehicles on M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs). Each MET-D will have a driver, gunner, and four soldiers in the rear operating two M113s for the platoon level.

One of the main goals for the experiment is for the autonomous vehicles to learn how to penetrate the enemy’s defenses without risking the soldier’s lives.

Phase 2 of testing will likely happen in late 2021, in it soldiers will conduct maneuvers at the company level. Using six MET-Ds, four M113s, four light robotic combat vehicles, and four medium robotic combat vehicles.

The intent of phase 2 is to test how a light robotic combat vehicle can assist light infantry formations with security, support, and reconnaissance tasks.

Phase 3 is scheduled for 2023 and will include four medium and four heavy modified robotic combat vehicles. The heavy robotic combat vehicle will be designed to provide forces with armor penetrating capabilities.

Military.com mentions that the heavy variant of the robotic combat vehicle will be able to fit onto a C-17 Globemaster aircraft, while the medium and light variants will be able to be transported via a C-130 Hercules and helicopters respectively. 

The robotic combat vehicles reduce risk. They do it by allowing the enemy to engage an unmanned vehicle before any human. This gives commanders and soldiers extra time to calculate the situation and make decisions.