I refer to my e-pal 'Jimmy Glesga' only because he was once a proud member of an army resupply unit and I bring him either good or bad news depending on how you look at it. According to The Telegraph, the US army, facing severe manpower cuts, is looking for ways to replace soldiers with robots - and before anyone asks how we will notice the difference, let me remind you that I do the jokes round here! At the moment, they are not thinking of killer robots stalking the countryside and shooting anything that moves, although I guess that is only a matter of time. However, one current idea is that you could have a convoy of resupply trucks led by a human in the first lorry but all the following trucks would be automated simply to follow the leader. And similar ideas have already been tested:
Several robot ground vehicles have already been tested in Afghanistan, including the Squad Mission Support System, a six-wheeled robotic buggy to carry soldiers' kit and baggage.
You see, America might be a bit of a stumble-bum giant on the world stage but it does not do to under-estimate their technical ingenuity. And I must add, thinking back with a grimace to those far off days when I had to manpack what felt like a ton of kit plus a bloody radio set, I would have given a lot for a robotic buggy following behind to carry it all.
