Robotics in Warfare

Maj. Gen. Atanu Pattanaik (retd)

The basic infantry tactics classes in the traditional armies always veered around the siting of the LMG trench. There are jokes galore as to how each commander in the long hierarchy of the army chain of command, from section commander to the Division commander, will have his very own view of what’s the best way to deploy the LMG in the battlefield. It was key to fighting a defensive battle at section and platoon levels and had to factor in many considerations such as field of fire, concealment from observation, and protection for the gun and personnel. Robotics maybe changing all that were considered sacred and non-negotiable in basic tactics.

One of the earliest usage of robotics involved de-mining operations as they are considered extremely dangerous. Land mines have been most extensively used in defending static defensive positions and in denying use of areas or specific routes or approaches to the enemy. However, the war in Ukraine has demonstrated widespread usage of robots in real combat and they have proved their usefulness to a degree. Ukraine’s Liut robotic system, armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun and additional equipment, allows it to detect and strike targets both day and night. The Liut system is compact, allowing it to be transported in the back of a military pickup truck, and operates on a silent electric motor. Its batteries provide extended operational time. Thanks to its high ground clearance, Liut can navigate difficult terrain with stability and functions effectively across a wide temperature range. The operator controls the system from a secure position, avoiding direct exposure to danger. The robot’s primary role is to support units and replace soldiers in the most dangerous situations. Used imaginatively and in significant numbers, they completely alter the dynamics of combat ratios that go into determining troop requirements to overrun a defensive position.

Ukraine is also known to have deployed robotic ground vehicles along the 1,000 km front line of the war during 2024. These systems handle operational support functions including mine-laying and de-mining, the delivery of ammunition and other supplies to troops in trenches, and the evacuation of wounded soldiers to rear positions where they can receive medical treatment. In some sectors, Ukraine has deployed combination of machine gun-equipped ground drones and swarms of self-guided kamikaze aerial drones to launch coordinated attacks. Machine guns with computer vision have been used to automatically shoot down soldiers. More outlandish creations, like a hovering unmanned copter that wields machine guns, have also been claimed to have be