(DCWatchdog.com) – In a bold move to leap into the future of warfare, the U.S. Army has deployed rifle-equipped robotic dogs to the Middle East for testing against aerial threats.
See a video of the rifle-equipped robotic dog in the YouTube post below!
At the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in Saudi Arabia, these Ghost Robotics machines, known as “Lone Wolf,” are part of a controversial bid to revolutionize anti-drone operations.
At the heart of this innovation is the Ghost Robotics Vision 60, a quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicle (Q-UGV) that’s armed with an AR-15/M16-pattern rifle mounted on a turret.
The trials, aimed at testing its anti-drone capabilities, remain shrouded in secrecy with no disclosed results.
However, military insiders have hinted at impressive static ground target engagements, raising both interest and apprehension regarding its future deployment.
The Middle East has become a key testing ground for the U.S. Army as threats in the region escalate.
Alongside the robotic dogs, 15 other counter-drone weapons were tested in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing the strategic importance of these trials.
Previous experiments with Stryker-mounted laser weapon prototypes and the “Dronebuster” system in Jordan illustrate a broader military focus on counter-drone defenses.
These robotic dogs are equipped with the “Lone Wolf” electro-optical targeting system, reflecting a cutting-edge approach to automated weaponry.
The U.S. and China are both racing to perfect these technologies, emphasizing the mounting global arms race.
“The Army has sent at least one “robot dog” armed with an artificial intelligence-enabled gun turret to the Middle East for testing as a fresh counter-drone capability for U.S. service members, service officials confirmed,” Military.com points out in a report.
These experiments are part of the Army’s broader exploration into human-machine integration on the battlefield.
The Lone Wolf’s future operational capabilities depend heavily on global reception and the resolution of ethical concerns surrounding armed AI.
The Army’s strategic hesitance to disclose detailed test outcomes reflects the delicacy of introducing autonomous weapons into combat.
While the military continues to defend the strategic necessity of these advancements, skeptics argue that such deployments could lead to an unpredictable and potentially perilous arms race.
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