Today the United States has many robotic fighting tools in theatre that are used every day, from the predator drones to the anti-IED robotic bomb squad units. There are hand-held UAVs as well. Currently being tested along our borders and in Iraq and Afghanistan are technologies I am not at liberty to discuss at this time - perhaps it will be all public knowledge in the near future. Indeed it does not take a rocket-scientist to figure it out - one only needs to read the defense industry rags from around the Globe.
This of course is only the beginning. Of course as smart as these Future Fighting Force tools are they are only going to become smaller, more robust in capability and more prolific in the outcomes of conflicts. Even the enemy is working frantically to copy our use of robotics and although their remote detonation road side bombs, car bombs and other incendiary devices is rudimentary, it often unfortunately serves its purpose. Using cell phones, Sony Play Station parts and other available electronics this is indeed a mild form of robotic usage also.
Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran have all used UAV surveillance. Hezbollah shocked Israel when they used a radar guided missile to attack a war ship during the Lebanon Conflict. Some believed the technology to be Chinese, perhaps some Israeli which was sold to the Chinese, re-packaged to Iran and given to Hezbollah. Either way the International Terrorists, insurgency in Iraq and even Al Qaeda is not without some modern robotic technology.
We must indeed make a serious effort to stay cutting edge on these technologies to protect our troops and to protect our people. Every advantage we give our own team and every disadvantage we hand to our enemy the greater our chances for victory.
