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The U.S. government is continuing its march towards an all-robot army. The Predator drones, featured heavily in the Afghani campaign, strapped with missiles was just the beginning. The next step are the Special Weapons Observation Remote reconnaissance Direct action Systems, or "SWORDS" robots.
SWORDS are modified bomb disposal robots mounted with M249 light machine guns. The robots were originally declared combat-ready in 2004, but the bomb-disposal robots had this tendency to occasionally spin out of control. Annoying when defusing a bomb, possibly tragic when firing a machine gun.
New safety measures were put in place to prevent the robots from losing control or accidentally firing, and unlocking the weapon is a three-step process of both software and physical safeties.
There are currently three SWORDS roaming Iraq, though the Army will not reveal where. They have yet to fire their weapons, but once they do the SWORDS program manager expects the Army to order more.
As these technological advancements remove more soldiers from harm's way it becomes important to ask: Is removing the human element from war ultimately a good thing? Will removing soldiers from the battlefield make war even less civilized? What will deter countries from fighting if all they stand to lose is some very expensive pieces of technology?
From Engadget and Wired
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Comments
24
Subscribe to commentsfred casavantSep 10th 2007 12:05PM
It makes me crazy to listen to people say that we cannot win this war militarily. We can, we won World War II by killing enough people and material to put the general population of the losers on the side of the road with begging bowls. There weren’t so many ready to shoot the side that was feeding them. The problem is we want to use the military solution with out the hell of war. WAR IS HELL.
After forging the one of finest military machines ever, this bozo president uses it like an entrenching tool instead of the fine sword that it is. This administration which claims such loyalty to the military has insulted our brothers, sisters, sons, & daughters through the continued misuse of our military. Collateral damage is the price of war. We need to stop pretending that our military is the social services branch of the State department and send them out to do the killing they were trained to do and not this nation building that we have no place doing.
WilliamOct 21st 2007 2:45PM
As this robot warrior technology develops, it's likely that those making decisions to use the robots will be replaced by robots. This will continue up the command chain until we get a robot commander in chief. (most likely a better situation than we have right now) Then of course the police will be replaced by robots along with all the politicians. Then the human population can feel safe knowing that we're being looked after by well meaning robots. However, I have an uneasy feeling about this possiblity and I'm wondering if we need any restrains on the use of robots?
leeOct 26th 2007 4:23PM
just watch the show 'connnections' by james burke.
"... at no time in the past, did anybody have anything to do with the business of inventing or changing things, ever know what the full effect of his actions would be. He just went ahead and did what he did for his own reasons, like we do. That's how change comes about."
the matrix is real.
GregDec 26th 2007 4:29PM
With the way technology develops robot soldiers were inevitable. The major first use of aircraft were in warfare. (First world war)
It is a very sad thing that technology gets a kind of proof of effectiveness in warfare that later on gets adapted to everyday life.
Probably the only way this could be changed is to eliminate the fighting instinct from man. Who has the solution to this?
If no one does then maybe robots will inherit the earth