Autonomous systems (AS), with their game-changing opportunities, represent one of the most significant technological trends that animates the debate on the future battlefield. Advances in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), computational power, networking, engineering, among other disciplines, are driving increasing autonomy in machines and systems, granting significant advantages in terms of protection and lethality as well as providing commanders with the ability to make decisions much more quickly and efficiently than a team of solely humans.
This is even more valid in the land domain, despite the current lower level of maturity compared to other domains, where the Unmanned Ground Systems (UGS) will become increasingly crucial in warfare. Indeed, the air and maritime endeavours cannot never prescind from the land component, which provides control of territories, deterrence, and adaptability to different environments and throughout the full spectrum of conflicts. In this framework, the Member States (MS), by leveraging on the higher survivability and flexibility of UGS, will definitely benefit from AS to effectively defend themselves.
Capability Development Priorities
The paramount role of AS is highlighted in most of the ground-related 2023 Capability Development Priorities. They are:
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Ground Combat Capabilities
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Land Based Precision Engagement
The LAND Domain Capability Development (CAP DEV) Priorities have a particular focus on Autonomous Systems. Below the list of the most relevant ones, listed per Priority. At the completion of the definition of the Implementation Roadmaps, many of those line will become (if not already) an actionable CAP DEV project:
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Ground Combat Capabilities:
- Small Unmanned Aerial Systems using swarming techniques.
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Land Based Precision Engagement:
- Use of Artificial Intelligence, target and fire control systems with C2 open architectures;
- Unmanned self-propelled weapons systems with a 360-degree capability;
- Platforms and ammunition able to deliver more accurate kinetic and non-kinetic effects in enemy depth at higher distances.
- The growth of unmanned platforms and systems will call for a significant improvement in Manned Unmanned Teaming Counter UAS capabilities.
Moreover, the priorities defined in the field of the “Strategic Enablers and Force Multipliers” underlines the several opportunities offered by AS in land domain, such as, for instance, within the medical support area, the medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) by unmanned platforms. Lastly, the priorities on the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence have identified as a key area the integration of CBRN advanced sensor and detection/identification devices into other platforms such as small autonomous vehicles. They will be essential to facilitate the accomplishment of several CBRN tasks by using robotics and autonomous systems, such as operating in CBRN hazard areas, conducting CBRN reconnaissance tasks, or transporting hazardous materials.
Ongoing AS-related capability projects
- CBRN Surveillance as a Service (CBRN SaaS) - EDA Cat. B project 2019 (webpage of the project to be created PoC LLUnit)
Technological challenges
Despite the expected extensive use of autonomous systems in the future defence landscape, the ground applications of AS have so far mainly concerned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), or “dull, dirty and dangerous” tasks such as explosive ordnance disposal. Moreover, compared to AS in Air and Maritime domains, which can be used in a broader set of tasks with a higher level of autonomy, UGS have still a lower technological maturity.
Against this backdrop, the Land AS need an extra effort to improve autonomy and performance in a wider range of applications. Indeed, the land domain is characterized by an extremely dynamic and challenging environment to operate autonomous systems. This is because the environment is constantly changing, with unstructured terrain, other troops and possibly civilians, a lack of precise mapping and position information, limited communications, and a variety of threats. These challenges highlight the need for a suitable level of autonomy that can interact with its environment. They also highlight the need for enhanced situational awareness, sophisticated system interfaces, novel platform communication methods, high levels of redundancy on a variety of sensors, potent local computing power, artificial intelligence algorithms, and dependable connections with command centres.
In light of these challenges, as extensively described in APAS, technology efforts should be made to make UGS able to sense, think/decide, move, act, team, self-protect, self-monitor and (desirably) self-repair. Lastly, given the current limitation in AS technologies especially in land domain, although fully AS may be a long-term goal, in the short and medium term, the impact of remote-controlled and semi-autonomous systems will be still significant. For this reason, the technological developments are supposed to include all elements related to remote-controlled automated, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous systems, since their transition will require adaptation and time.
Research and Technology (R&T) approach
Coherently with its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), the CapTech Ground Systems has being promoting, preparing and managing several EDA R&T actvities. In this context it is worth mentioning the following:
Studies:
- ADPS (Active anti-drone protection system, concluded) – aimed to study the threat posed by isolated and swarms of drones to mobile land platforms, and to define the best solutions to counter them through an active and scalable approach for targeting and neutralization.
- CUGV (Combat unmanned ground vehicle, concluded) – aimed to analyse future needs of ground-based combat robotic systems and define suitable solutions and desired levels of autonomous functions.
- HyMUP (Hybrid manned-unmanned platooning) – aimed to prove the feasibility of the operation of UGSs with manned vehicles in future combat missions, and to develop a demonstrator of a hybrid fleet (manned and unmanned vehicles) deployed in convoy missions.
- MuRoC (Technologies for multi-robot control in support of the soldier) – aimed to survey the market in multi-robotics research with focus on control and human-machine teamwork.
- SafeMUVe (Study on technical and safety requirements for UGVs, concluded) – aimed to analyse/define the requirements to allow semi-autonomous operations of UGVs in non-military environments (i.e., public spaces) in coexistence with manned vehicles and humans.
- SMAS (Sustaining machines - autonomous systems for logistics operations, ongoing) – aimed to analyse the current state-of-the art of AS for logistics operations, identify opportunities, technology needs/gaps, and requirements for future sustaining machines.
- SMUVO (Scenarios for multiple unmanned vehicle operations) – aimed to define a set of reference scenarios of operations involving teams of unmanned vehicles.
- SUGV (Standardised unmanned ground vehicle with open architecture) – aimed to define/describe a commonly agreed open architecture for UGVs.
Programmes/Projects:
- Autonomous last mile resupply (in preparation) – aimed to develop an heterogenous swarm of UGVs and UAVs to provide resupply of standard goods (through UGVs), emergency resupply (through UAVs), and possibly CASEVAC assistance (through UGVs) to forward operating soldiers during combat operations.
- Autonomous precision airdrop for Land Forces (in preparation) – aimed to develop the most suitable technologies to enable safe deliver of time-sensitive supplies in highly contested airspace (to remote areas) where safe landing is not possible through autonomous precision airdrop capabilities.
- CUGS (Combat unmanned ground system, ongoing) – aimed to choose and adapt 3 different size categories of platforms, and to define, design and develop a set of functional modules for full demonstrators of highly autonomous combat UGS.
- C-UAS (Counter unmanned aerial systems, in preparation)- aimed to develop modular C-UAS physical demonstrators for both mobile land and maritime platforms, by using a scalable and redundant approach for targeting and neutralising isolated and swarms of small UAS.
- eUGS (Engineering UGS, in preparation) – aimed to develop a set of tools for effective control of multiple UGS in the field of combat engineering (i.e., obstacle breaching/clearance, fortification, earthmoving works, obstacle launching, etc).
- IEDDET I (concluded) and IEDDET II (IED detection programme, in preparation) – aimed to develop multi-sensor technology demonstrators for stand-off detection and confirmation of IEDs and IED components buried in and near/aside the route, with support of UAVs and UGVs.
- LAND Technology Accelerator (in preparation) – aimed to foster competition to promote innovation and accelerate the delivery of technology directly related to the topic “Autonomous Systems for Land Forces”, through experimentation and challenge-kind events.
- PASEI I (concluded) and PASEI II (Protection against enemy interference, ongoing) – aimed to analyse and prioritize threats and define countermeasures to secure autonomous systems against enemy interference.
- SCALAR (New modular and scalable vehicle architecture for unmanned and hybrid electric technology integration, in preparation) – aimed to develop a demonstrator to improve mobility and safety by providing unmanned vehicles with a forward-looking capability to identify the characteristics of the upcoming terrain and adjust the necessary vehicle parameters.