[The World Through Weapons] Robots Replace Recruits Due to COVID-19...Accelerating Development of Unmanned Weapons

[Image source=Scene capture from the movie 'Terminator']

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has struck the world, militaries around the globe, including South Korea, are facing significant difficulties in recruiting and training new soldiers. This is because the barracks, where many people live in close quarters, are environments highly susceptible to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in any country.

To maintain military strength against such 'non-traditional' threats, the development of unmanned military systems such as unmanned combat aircraft and combat robots is actively underway. Moving beyond simple remote-controlled weapons previously operated by humans, the advent of robotic weapons equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) that can independently assess battlefield situations and cooperate with human soldiers is now within reach.

According to foreign media including CNN, Boeing Australia announced on the 5th that it has supplied the Royal Australian Air Force with an unmanned combat aircraft named 'Loyal Wingman.' Unlike conventional drones that are remotely controlled, this aircraft features an 'autonomous operation mode' that allows it to engage in combat on its own. Fighter pilots can deploy their manned fighter jets alongside the unmanned aircraft and, as needed, either control the unmanned aircraft themselves or set it to operate autonomously.

The unmanned combat aircraft 'Loyal Wingman' supplied by Boeing to the Royal Australian Air Force on the 5th
[Image source=Boeing official website/http://www.boeing.com]

In the United States, technology is reportedly being developed that allows an entire flight squadron to be controlled by a single manned fighter jet. The biggest challenge so far is not the operation or combat methods of the unmanned combat aircraft, but whether the pilot controlling the entire fleet can handle the massive volume of data generated by the unmanned aircraft alone. Furthermore, systems are being developed where unmanned aircraft can even serve as control towers. This system is expected to drastically reduce the number of pilots and significantly decrease pilot casualties in combat.

On land, combat robots are already actively deployed. Unmanned ground combat vehicles have appeared not only in the Middle East but also in the Crimean Peninsula conflict between Russia and Ukraine. These range from small tracked vehicles equipped with rifles on top to fully AI-operated unmanned tanks. The U.S. military utilizes robots in various fields such as bomb disposal, reconnaissance, and long-distance transport, while Russia has announced plans to establish a robotic combat unit by 2025.

The U.S. Marine Corps participating alongside combat robots
[Image source: U.S. Marine Corps website/www.marines.mil]

Unmanned warship development is also in full swing at sea. The United States, Russia, and China are known to be developing various unmanned warships, including China’s unmanned vessel named D-3000. Especially after COVID-19 rapidly spread across four U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups last month and multiple cruise ships experienced numerous infections, competition in unmanned warship development is expected to intensify further.

However, there are considerable concerns that unmanned warfare could make conflicts even more brutal. In the case of unmanned combat aircraft and combat robots, it becomes difficult for soldiers of the respective nationality to take direct responsibility for civilian casualties, and the possibility of war crimes being committed under the pretext of mechanical malfunction increases accordingly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.