According to the AFP report The French Ministry of the Armed Forces is on the right track to deliver ready -to -fight robotic systems until 2040. The aforementioned AFP report quotes high -ranking military officials and stakeholders of the defense sector involved in the autonomous systems tests in the country.
Recently, in the base west of Paris, several weeks of competitions ended, during which robots equipped with legs, wheels and treads overcame obstacles and bypassed traps, to test their ability to maintain the area against enemy forces.
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“We hope that in three years we will have something relatively developedwith the first possibilities of ground robots ready to equip our strength, “said General Bruno Baratz, commander of future combat programs of the French army during the exercises of military robotics near Paris.
Baratz added that The French government envisages “the implementation of evolutionary systems with practical usability in combat elements much before 2040”. In this way he referred to the target date of implementation of robots set at 2021.
This decision was part of the call of the French military leaders to prepare for the “high intensity war” by modernizing equipment, increasing army reserves, outsourcing to private contractors and investing in technologically advanced drone and robotics programs.
France wants to have an army of robots until 2040.
As AFP reminds, during military tests unmanned robotics, units equipped with legs, treads and wheels overcame obstacles and bypassed traps to imitate the conditions on the battlefield. The French Army provides for the use of robo-units for a number of tasks, from supervision, to remote repairs, to removal of mines.
“Now we have to prove that [roboty] They can be more effective when they come into contact with the opponent. The robot must facilitate the fight, not stop it, “said French General Tony Maffeis, head of the Army Technical Department, whose words AFP cites.
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France points to the Russian-Ukrainian war as a reason for accepting technologically advanced equipment. The schedule mentioned in the AFP report and military statements was confirmed during the third edition of the Collaboration Homme-Machine (Cohoma), exercises aimed at integration of robotic platforms with future structures of the armed forces.
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General Tony Maffeis, director of the Technical Section of the French Army, said that Unmanned systems are already effective in low contact roles, such as recognition and removal of explosive charges. “Robots are a multiplier of strength when they are used to protect and remove mines,” said Maffeis.
He admitted, however, that There are still significant engineering and tactical obstacles before such platforms can be entrusted with direct combat roles. “Robots must increase the survival of our units, and not hinder maneuvering or delaying decision making,” added Maffeis, whose words AFP cites.
