Robotics in Warfare, Advantages and Disadvantages, UPSC Notes

In the era of modern warfare, the use of Robotics is rising rapidly. Robots can easily and safely perform tasks that would otherwise endanger human lives and they do it faster and more efficiently than with conventional methods. In military missions, robots are proving attractive for roles to fill the three D’s (Dull, Dirty, or Dangerous). For example, using robots in mine detection as a human. Today’s robots can do the same task in about a fifth of the time and with greater accuracy. They provide an extended stand-off and reduce the risk of exposure.

Understanding Robotics in Battlefield

Robotics, a multidisciplinary field including engineering and computer science, revolves around the creation, design, production, and operation of robots. These automated machines are capable of performing specific tasks with minimal or no human intervention. 

Features 

• Dodging Unconventional Threats: Robotics creates intelligent machines that can assist humans in a variety of ways. The emergence of unconventional threats and advanced technologies necessitates a re-visit of military strategies.
• Unmanned Systems: In the armed forces, the term 'unmanned systems' is commonly used to refer to these military robots.
• Mobility of Robots: Robots designed for battlefield applications are typically mobile, allowing them to navigate various terrains effectively. 
  • While mobility is a key feature for battlefield robots, static robots find more widespread use in industrial and other non-military applications. 
• Autonomy of Robots: This refers to the level of independence exhibited by a robot. 
  • This can range from direct human control (remote operation) on one end of the spectrum to a more advanced state known as 'adaptive' on the other. 
  • A machine is considered adaptive when it can learn, enabling it to adjust, update, or modify its search parameters. 
  • It can even evolve its methods for gathering information.
• Contextual Constructs: Robotic agents can assist soldiers in identifying dangers through contextual data - paralinguistic, demographic, visual, and physiological variables. 
  • Robotics can be utilised in understanding acoustic variables or paralinguistic variables like speech intensity, pitch, etc. to recognise emotions from speech even under noisy conditions and stressful circumstances.
  • Demographic variables refer to characteristics like personality type, age, and gender, which can influence how soldiers interact with robots. 
  • Visual variables refer to how robots process information from their surroundings. Providing context to the robot combined with the captured image would help it make sense of the battlefield situation.
  • Robots can monitor physiological variables such as soldiers' physical and emotional state.

Significance

Robotics in warfare has significance in multiple aspects:

• Cost and Lives of Soldiers: The robotic technology has matured to the point where affordable robots can be manufactured and employed.
• Speed and Precision: The AI-powered robots, equipped with contextual understanding and adaptability, offer a significant advantage with their enhanced speed, strength, and precision in warfare.
• Efficiency: In contrast to humans, robots do not require rest, sustenance, or recreational breaks during work and have high concentration. 
  • Robots need to take breaks only for recharging or refuelling, and the repetitive nature of complex, dangerous activities does not affect their efficiency or efficacy.
  • They can be employed on the battlefield for tasks requiring incredibly high concentration, and difficult for humans to sustain for long periods.
• Difficult Tasks:
  • Robotic systems can operate in environments contaminated by biological, chemical or radiological weapons, where a human would have to wear a bulky suit and protective gear.
  • They can sustain extremes of operating situations, like high ‘G’ turns (gravity force when you change direction and velocity due to inertia) that can render aircraft pilots inoperative. Unmanned systems can fly faster and turn harder. 
  • In underwater operations, small robotic boats can operate in the rough ocean where waves are eighteen feet high or more, and human sailors would suffer serious physical injury from all the tossing about.
• Aggressive attacking: Humans can only react to incoming mortar rounds by taking cover at the last second, whereas the Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar (CRAM), a robotic system deployed in Iraq by the US, could detect and shoot them down before they arrived at the target.

Concerns 

• Ethical concerns: It raises ethical concerns as they may lack the ability to make moral judgments, potentially violating human rights and international humanitarian laws.
• No accountability: The lack of clear accountability for actions taken by autonomous weapons poses a significant challenge.
• Unpredictability: The unpredictable nature of autonomous systems poses a risk as to how they will respond in battlefield scenarios.
• Potential arms race: It can lead to an arms race, with nations competing to enhance their robotic capabilities.
• Lack of empathy: The removal of humans from decision-making eliminates the capacity for empathy and nuanced judgement.
• Fear of unemployment: It could lead to a reduction in the demand for human military personnel, potentially leading to job losses.

Applications of Robotics in Warfare

Robots provide diverse capabilities across a range of military operations across all domains. 

• Surveillance and Reconnaissance: The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) provides vital intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to troops. 
  • From large platforms like the Predator and Global Hawk to smaller drones like the Raven and Wasp, UAS has become essential for both tactical and strategic operations.
• Search Operations: Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) have proven their worth, especially in combating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and explosive detection. 
  • Robots like PackBot and TALON are used for tasks such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and reconnaissance. 
  • New designs like MARCBOT and MAARS are equipped with advanced features like weaponry and detection equipment.
• Medical Assistance and Evacuation: Robots like Bloodhound and REV are designed to provide medical assistance and evacuation in combat situations. 
• Transportation: The introduction of the Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment Vehicle (MULE), similar to a robotic pack mule.
  • It offers promising prospects for carrying equipment and supplies in challenging terrains.
• Mine Clearance: Unmanned Maritime Vehicles (UMVs) are gaining importance, particularly in Mine Counter-Measures (MCM) operations. 
  • Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and undersea vehicles (UUVs) play crucial roles in mine hunting, sweeping, and other maritime security tasks. 
  • Submarine-launched UAVs, like the Cormorant, extend the operational range of naval forces.
• Training: The futuristic utility of Robots lies in giving combat training and providing an interactive training solution that simulates live combat.

Global Developments in Military Robotics

Presently, the United States leads in military robot usage, but countries like China, Russia, India and othersare making significant investments in research and development to close the gap.

India’s Developments in Military Robotics

India recognises the potential of robotic technology for military applications. As a result, it has been actively advancing in this field through organisations like the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and other public sector enterprises. 

• Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR): It was established in 1986 with a primary research focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, and Control systems. 
• DRDO: The DRDO, in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the Aeronautical Development Agency, has been actively involved in the development of a diverse range of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs).

Indian Military Robots

India’s Security Measures against Military Robots

The following are the countermeasure developments in India:

• Indrajaal: Hyderabad-based Grene Robotics unveiled India’s first AI-powered anti-drone system, Indrajaal. 
  • The system provides a wide-area Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) and is capable of protecting vital installations and entire cities from various types of drones. 
  • It offers 360-degree protection with real-time threat detection, identification, classification, tracking, and neutralisation capabilities. 
  • It addresses a range of autonomous drone threats, from low radar cross-section to high-altitude long-endurance UAVs, loitering munitions, and swarm drones. 
• Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS): Itinvolves the deployment of a range of state-of-the-art surveillance technologies such as thermal imagers, infrared and laser-basedintruder alarms, aerostats for aerial surveillance, and unattended ground sensors.
  • It helps in detecting intrusion bids, radars, sonar systems to secure riverine borders, fibre-optic sensors and a command and control system that shall receive data from all surveillance devices in real-time. 
  • Implementation of 
  • CIBMS projects on the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh border will enhance the capabilities of the Border Security Force (BSF).

Robotics in Warfare FAQs

Q1. How are robots used in warfare?

Ans. One of the most common types of military robots is transportation robots. This robotic technology can help soldiers transport different supplies like artillery, bombs, and other supplies.

Q2. What is the role of AI and robotics in warfare?

Ans. AI is helping to optimise logistics chains, predict needed maintenance, find vulnerabilities in software, and combine vast amounts of data into actionable information.

Q2. Have robots ever been used in war?

Ans. The military robots date back to World War II and the Cold War in the form of the German Goliath tracked mines and the Soviet teletanks.

Q3. What are the benefits of robots in the military?

Ans. There are multiple benefits as they can make quick decisions in combat situations and save human lives if robots are sent into frontline combat.

Q4. Can robots fight in war?

Ans. Current robots that are equipped with weapons are tele-operated so they are not capable of taking lives autonomously.

Q5. What is the future scope of military robots?

Ans. Robots can significantly reduce the risk for soldiers on the battlefield. In combat, they can be used for a variety of advantage-gaining tactics. For example, reconnaissance purposes, etc.