America's Robot Army

Popular Mechanics explores the increasing level of reliance the US military has when it comes to robotic assistance. In the last few years, robot drones have reached an all-new level of sophistication, with several models already deployed in the field. Now, the next generation of robot helpers is nearing the end of its test phase. PM offers up a preview of what we could expect to see in the field within the next five years. "The MULE (Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment) is roughly the size of a Humvee, but it has a trick worthy of monster truck rallies. Each of its six wheels is mounted on an articulated leg, allowing the robot to clamber up obstacles that other cars would simply bump against ... Barely a year old, the prototype is a product of the Army's Unmanned Ground Vehicle program, which began in 2001. It has yet to fire a single bullet or missile, or even be fitted with a weapon. Here at the test track it's loaded down with rucksacks and boxes, two squads' worth of equipment."

Comments

...yeah, that's what the world needs...

[toby]

More weapons.

Good one, America. Nice to see those sessions with the shrink are working.

Re:More tanks

[mi]

anti-guerilla strategy? that's easy don't be an ass, and don't invade other countries on false intel, with the misguided hope that they will think you are saviors just because you deposed their idiot leader.

Without arguing on whether the above "donts" apply to our most recent Iraq invasion, is there — in your opinion — ever a situation, when wrongs committed by a country's government justify invasion aiming at correcting those wrongs?

To truly fight guerrilla you must fight them like you fight pirates. You take away the economic/political incentive for it to begin with.

That's how you discourage them. To fight them you chase them, sink their ships, and hang the captured ones along the shores. Add drawing-and-quartering to taste... Sometimes I really wish we could apply these methods to the guerrilla assholes, but I don't think we can any more... The risk of mistakingly killing an innocent person is just too high for a modern conscience.