Pentagon tests pack hunting with autonomous war robots

The Pentagon has been testing packs of autonomous ground vehicles (UGVs) in simulated combat situations. In mid-October, at Fort Knox’s St. Vith Range in Kentucky, four UGVs “worked as a team, negotiating and surveilling the rolling landscape in search of enemy forces,” recalls a DARPA blog post. These UGVs are highly modular and can be kitted out with a wide range of tactical add-ons, but target engagement was controlled by a human operator. This latest exercise was prompted by the request of European allies.

“Out here at Fort Knox, we’re looking at how autonomous mobility technology can be paired with payloads to enable new warfighter capabilities,” explained Jason Gregory, technical advisor at DARPA. The blog notes that this location was also chosen as it represents a similar landscape to the European theater.

During the demo an operator received a tip about a simulated threat alongside some satellite imagery. They then sent the pack of UGVs to the area to surveil the landscape and identify targets. Smartly, a sole UGV went ahead of the pack to scout, with the three others waiting behind. The scout UGV was equipped with a flying drone. In a real-world scenario this could have been flown for better visuals or to strike the targets from the sky. “Soldiers can mount anything and everything onto – 240 Bravos, drones, rockets,” said a technician attending the demo, as they are “super modular platforms.” The blog says three of the four UGVs in the exercise had drones.

After the designated area was scouted by the leading autonomous ground vehicle, other UGVs followed on “to provide cover and support.” A simulated rocket was fired at a target identified about 300 yards from the robot pack. Finally, the last robot came out of cover, higher up over a ridge, to assess the field of conflict.

It was emphasized that during the exercise, a human operator was controlling any kinetic engagement. “All the mobility, all the movement, all the detections, all of that is autonomous,” explained Gregory. “But they don’t pull the trigger until a human says pull the trigger.”

This exercise was part of DARPA’s Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency, or RACER program. Expertise required for RACER’s success includes vehicle design, algorithm technologies, super intelligence, and secure communications.

After five years of work, these UGVs can now be instructed to complete tasks on the battlefield, instead of being manually driven, notes Gregory. They roam off-road as fast as any human driver could manage, at a minimum.

Testers reckon the UGV packs are ready for deployment and use in “a host of other missions, including food, ammunition and supply logistics and more,” according to the DARPA blog. More UGV pack hunting tests are scheduled for December, with a group of serving soldiers involved.

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