U.S. Integrating Advanced Robotic and Autonomous Weapon Systems into Army Units

IRIA Staff - March 26, 2024

The United States Department of Defense announced on March 22, 2024 that the Army is advancing modernization capabilities by integrating cutting-edge technology and autonomous systems both on the ground and in the air with promising experiments at the operational level.

"The Army is moving toward a future where soldier formations will be more efficient and lethal" - U.S. Department of Defense.

According to the Pentagon statement, Chief of Staff of the United States Army General Randy George discussed some of the advancements while talking with the Defense One digital media platform in Washington after observing Project Convergence Capstone 4, an experiment involving the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force.

The U.S. Army Gen. George said, "We've all seen how the battlefield is changing, [and] we know that you can't have these big C2 [command and control] nodes that are out there." George added, "We know that machines can do a lot of things right now much more effectively and much cheaper, and we're going to have to incorporate them into our formations."

During his visit, he awarded coins of excellence and commended soldiers assigned to the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) Experimental Company, 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 316th Cavalry Brigade for their execution as part of a human-machine integration demonstration.

The U.S. Army general also discussed next-generation command and control (C2) system capabilities with industry partners and received a briefing on the Army's latest experimental capabilities and technology advancements from Gen. James E. Rainey, the commanding general of Army Futures Command, at Project Convergence - Capstone 4.


The HIVE unmanned aircraft system prepares to take flight during a human-machine integration experiment during Project Convergence – Capstone 4 at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 11, 2024. (Image Credit: U.S. Army/Pfc. Karla Guerrero)

The Project Convergence Capstone 4 is the two-phase, joint, and multination experiment that took place at Camp Pendleton, California, and the Army's National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, from February 23 to March 20, 2024.

Project Convergence is led by Army Futures Command and involves a series of experiments that allow warfighters an opportunity to experiment with the latest technologies at the operational level and further improve methods for synchronizing as a joint force.

Project Convergence includes a continuous, structured series of demonstrations and experiments at various locations. It ensures that the U.S. Army can effectively overmatch and counter its adversaries in competition and conflict by rapidly and continuously integrating or converging effects across all domains including land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace.

The U.S. close allies the UK and Australia also joined the experimentation exercise and tested cutting-edge systems and technologies.

During Project Convergence Capstone 4, several systems were tested including, the Quadruped Ghost robotic dog (unmanned ground vehicles), the HIVE unmanned aircraft system (UAS), Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) robotic mule, Fortum Skydome with Drone Hunter counter-unmanned aircraft system, Ghost-X unmanned aircraft system, and unmanned transport vehicles with autonomous weapon systems. The U.S. Army soldiers also conducted sling load operations with autonomous UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

U.S. soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regimen take part in a human-machine integration demonstration using the Ghost Robotic Dog and the U.S. Army Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) of new U.S. Army capabilities at Project Convergence - Capstone 4. (Image Credit: U.S. Army/Spc. Samarion Hicks)


• Quadruped Ghost robotic dogs are high-endurance and agile unmanned ground vehicles that provide enhanced situational awareness and support for frontline soldiers and serve as their eyes and ears.

• The HIVE UAS provides soldiers on the ground with improved mission efficiency and real-time situational awareness while conducting operations.

• The SMET is an eight-wheeled transport vehicle with robotic technology for dismounted soldiers. It is an equipment-carrying "robotic mule" and can be used for combat missions, combat support, and combat service support functions and payloads.

• The Fortum Skydome with Drone Hunter is an autonomous, radar-guided, counter-unmanned aircraft system with modular attachments rapidly firing nets to ensnare enemy UAS.

• Ghost-X is a modular, expeditionary, and extended-range unmanned aircraft system that can be assembled by a single operator in less than 2 minutes and deployed in most challenging environments. It can be used for reconnaissance and security, targeting, and force protection missions.

• U.K. Experimentation and Trails Group's unmanned, eight-wheeled, all-terrain transport vehicles are armed with an autonomous weapon system that can support dismounted soldiers in an urban environment.


A British unmanned, eight-wheeled, all-terrain transport vehicle armed with an autonomous weapon system by the U.K. Experimentation and Trails Group during human integration experiment at Fort Irwin, Calif, March 11, 2024. (Image Credit: (U.S. Army/Pfc. Ivan Hernandez)

The U.S. Army Gen. George said that during the experimentation exercise, he observed several scenarios where advanced technology was integrated into the Army's formations. General George highlighted that he observed, "a light infantry company that was operating in a simulated urban environment while incorporating robotic dogs and unmanned aircraft systems to sense the environment."

"Hands-on approach to innovation during experiments like PC-C4 can be very advantageous when compared to more conventional, top-down innovation" - U.S. Army Gen. Randy George.

He said, "There's nothing like testing … in the environments that you know you're going to need to operate in; this isn't about testing something in a showroom. This is actually getting to use [the technology] where they're going to use it … and I think that's where we do our best learning."

While commenting on the timeline for the integration of advanced technologies and modernization, General Randy George said that it depends on future budgets. He stressed, "We do have a sense of urgency," but noted that there is no specific date or timeline for modernization and the Army is focused on "incremental improvement."

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stetson Manuel, a Robotics and Autonomous Systems platoon sergeant and infantryman, assembles the Ghost-X Unmanned Aircraft System during the human machine integration experiment for Project Convergence Capstone 4 at Fort Irwin, Calif., March 11, 2024. (Image Credit: U.S. Army Staff Sgt. LaShic Patterson)

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