This next iteration of robotic warfare appears straight out of the dystopian science fiction series “Black Mirror,” yet it is actually rather practical. Recent military training with Cambodia showcased a robot dog equipped with an automatic gun, effectively transforming the titular “man’s best (electronic) friend” into a lethal weapon.
“It can serve as a new member in our urban combat operations, replacing our (human) members to conduct reconnaissance, identify (the) enemy, and strike the target,” says a soldier named Chen Wei in a video from state broadcaster CCTV.
Under the command of a distant operator, the two-minute footage captured during the China-Cambodia “Golden Dragon 2024” exercise also depicts the robotic dog hopping, strolling, lying down, and reversing its motion.
An infantry unit is led into a fake building by the rifle-firing robot in one training.
Part two of the film features what it calls China’s “variety of intelligent unmanned equipment,” which includes an automatic weapon atop a six-rotor aerial drone.
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China’s Military Tests Armed Robot Dogs
Robot dogs, along with small airborne drones, have a long history of employment in the military. Last November, during a joint exercise with the forces of China, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, CCTV footage from last year also featured China’s electronic canines armed with rifles.
As part of its Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), the United States Air Force showcased robotic dogs in 2020. This system employs AI and fast data analytics to identify and prevent threats to US military assets.
Drones have proliferated on land, sea, and air battlefields since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These inexpensive, remotely operated vehicles can neutralize highly advanced military equipment, including tanks and battleships.
Drones have shown to be a wonderful equalizer on the battlefields of Ukraine, allowing military units with less defense budgets to compete with foes that have much larger and superior resources.
Despite being a global leader in drone exports, China’s Commerce Ministry instituted export curbs on the technology last year, stating that they were necessary to “protect national security and interests.”
Regardless, the PRC artificial dogs appear to be garnering a lot of attention.
The canines have been making appearances on strictly controlled Chinese social media for the past twelve months.
The participation of the robotic canines in drills with other military suggests a more advanced level of development, according to the state-run Global Times.
“Robot dogs must have reached a certain level of technical maturity,” an unnamed expert told Global Times, quoting the fact that new technology is not typically introduced into joint exercises with other countries.
