The latest application of robotics in the military has a striking resemblance to the fictional world of the TV show “Black Mirror”. During recent military exercises with Cambodia, China showcased a robot dog equipped with an automatic rifle, effectively transforming a friendly electronic companion into a lethal weapon.
In a video released by state broadcaster CCTV, a soldier named Chen Wei explains that the robot dog can now be deployed in urban combat operations, taking over tasks such as reconnaissance, enemy identification, and target striking previously carried out by human soldiers.
The two-minute video from the China-Cambodia “Golden Dragon 2024” exercise demonstrates the robot dog’s capabilities, including walking, hopping, lying down, and moving backwards, all controlled remotely by an operator.
In one particular drill, the rifle-wielding robot dog leads an infantry unit through a simulated building, showcasing its potential in combat scenarios.
The latter part of the video showcases China’s “variety of intelligent unmanned equipment,” including an automatic rifle mounted on a six-rotor aerial drone. This demonstrates the military’s utilization of robot dogs and small aerial drones, which is not a new concept. In fact, a CCTV video from last year showcased China’s rifle-armed electronic canines during a joint exercise involving several Asian countries.
In 2020, the US Air Force demonstrated its use of robotic dogs as part of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which employs artificial intelligence and rapid data analytics to detect and counter threats to US military assets.
Furthermore, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, drones have become increasingly prevalent on the battlefield, across land, sea, and air. These affordable remotely controlled vehicles have the capability to neutralize sophisticated military machinery such as tanks and warships.
The use of drones in the Ukraine battlefields has demonstrated their ability to level the playing field, allowing military forces with limited defense budgets to effectively compete against better equipped and funded adversaries.
China, a major exporter of drones, implemented export controls on drone technology last year, citing the need to protect national security and interests.
Despite this, the robotic dogs used by the People’s Liberation Army have garnered significant attention and publicity.
These robotic dogs have been featured on China’s tightly regulated social media platforms for at least a year.
The presence of these robotic dogs in joint exercises with foreign militaries, as reported by the state-run Global Times, indicates an advanced stage of development.
An unnamed expert cited by Global Times stated that typically, new equipment is not introduced during joint exercises with other countries. Therefore, the robot dogs must have achieved a certain level of technical maturity.