Robotics Technology Center

Military Links Drones into Unmanned Squadrons… the Rise of Robot Squadrons

In a previous post I talked about the future of Robotic Combat Systems however it looks like the military is stepping it up a notch. It appears as though armies of robotic drones will become the part of our fighting force in the near future. The U.S. Navy is developing unmanned fighting vehicles that network together and operate in "swarms." These new unmanned drone squadrons are proving to be one of the most effective and controversial weapons in recent years.

Predator aircraft, armed with guided missiles have been credited with destroying a growing number of senior terrorist leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These types of weapons can go where our military men can't. They have now taken the logical next step and made these kinds of devices talk to each other.

Normally these planes are piloted remotely by a single person and were unable to share lintel with each other. Last week the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) linked these unmanned drones, including air and ground vehicles, into unmanned squadrons with a single pilot. They now operate as a single fighting force and share information between themselves.

Amazing technology. I wasn't able to find any video that showed last weeks demo however bellow you'll find two videos that feature the drone that was used.