China’s largest-ever military exercise with Cambodia on Thursday included a showcase performance by literal dogs of war, a squad of robot dogs with automatic weapons mounted on their backs.
Both China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the U.S. military are experimenting with militarizing the increasingly common “robodog” design.of South China Morning Post (SCMP) report The People’s Liberation Army announced in March that it had an opportunity to advance research into killer robots, as U.S. designers seemed interested in using robots for practical tasks on the battlefield, such as transporting supplies. .
In February, a Chinese research team found that a robodog equipped with a 7.62mm gun that fires 750 rounds per minute can achieve significant accuracy at distances of up to 100 meters, comparable to the average accuracy of a human rifleman. They have published research results that show that it is even better than that.
The researchers believed that if they could iron out the kinks of navigating dense, chaotic urban environments, quadrupedal platforms could become game-changing weapons in urban warfare. The paper says American planners made the mistake of simply strapping the gun to a military robodog test platform, rather than customizing the weapon’s mount to increase the robot’s accuracy and absorb recoil. suggests. Chinese researchers have predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to design robotic systems that take into account all the complexities of movement, recoil, and visibility on the battlefield.
“Chinese robot dogs can now navigate stairs, perform acrobatics such as backflips, traverse garbage dumps and rainforests, and run for nearly four hours straight while carrying 20 kg of luggage. Now I can do it.” SCMP I got it.
While US quadrupedal platforms appear to be somewhat sophisticated for the time being, China is quickly catching up, with manufacturing advantages offering field-ready units at much lower prices than US companies. become able to. Industry-leading Boston Dynamics’ Spot robodogs cost at least $70,000 each, while the Chinese model costs $3,000.
Robodog unit brought to Cambodia by China reportedly He demonstrated only his walking ability, not his shooting prowess. In addition to the robots, China sent about 760 military personnel for training in central Kampong Chhnang province, as well as 69 armored vehicles and tanks, and three warships for coastal exercises.
The 15-day “Golden Dragon” exercise officially began on Thursday and will be paid for by China.Cambodian army too I was grateful According to the Associated Press, the Chinese “provided new equipment and helped upgrade military facilities.” put it.
Two of the warships sent by China are anchored at Ream Naval Base, and the United States is concerned that the base could become China’s new strategic naval outpost.
Cambodia has responded to these concerns by stating that its constitution prohibits sending foreign troops into its territory, and that Chinese ships are “testing” a new pier in Ream that China helped build. He claimed that only.
military analyst Said Voice of America News (VOA) reported on Thursday that Cambodia’s refusal was disingenuous and that China would almost certainly develop a permanent military presence at Ream base.
“This opens up a new forward operating base for China to exert influence off Vietnam’s southern coast and in the Gulf of Thailand,” said Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales.
The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh gave a calm response to the Golden Dragon exercise, reiterating its respect for Cambodia’s sovereignty but “the diversity of military partners and the transparency of activities that may impact the region.” encouraged to choose.
