Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began. Now, for the first time — the first time in any warzone — the machines are carrying guns.
After years of development, three “special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system” (SWORDS) robots have deployed to Iraq, armed with M249 machine guns. The ‘bots “haven’t fired their weapons yet,” Michael Zecca, the SWORDS program manager, tells DANGER ROOM. “But that’ll be happening soon.”
The SWORDS — modified versions of bomb-disposal robots used throughout Iraq — were first declared ready for duty back in 2004. But concerns about safety kept the robots from being sent over the the battlefield. The machines had a tendency to spin out of control from time to time. That was an annoyance …
found by Martin Higgins 
Always have a problem with mecanoids made for killing. I know some are also deployed in south corea to guard the borders, but I find it very immoral.
I can just hear it talk speak to an Iraqi….
A negative answer would result in the Iraqi being terminated.
Oh great! These probably cost millions and one RPG and they’re gone. Just another way to spend taxpayers money.
“Oh great! These probably cost millions and one RPG and they’re gone. Just another way to spend taxpayers money.”
Yeah, silly waste of money! Let the soldiers die themselves! It only costs a few hundred thousand to train one of them!
3 & 4 or we could not spend the money on any of those. War is for pussies.
#4
The thing is, will these robots have the same fate of the Apache helicopters? These Helicopters were so technologically advanced, so overpriced, so overhyped and yet all the iraqi insurgents needed to blind their sensors was to burn some rubber tires and a grenade on a stick to knock them off the air.
Lets see…
Water balloon,
PAINT…
CAN YOU SEE ME NOW???
The Apache had 1 main flaw…
If you were ready for them, they werent FAST enough to avoid being shot at…And a fast PLANE, couldnt hover and target well.
I dont think these things will be good in tree lines…They need a WIDE OPEN area…nothing less.
Can you se all the needs for one of these, and about 5 guys hooked up wireless, to listen, SEE, what is going on AROUND them, then SOME Bastard Smacks it with Lead based paint, and the IR, video, goes out…And what can you do?? Got Lens wipers??
#7: In recognition of the last picture in the post, I would suggest that when hit with lead-based pain, the poor thing should squeal like a pig, and then fall on it’s back…
The only places these work are the places where there’s little chance of human casualties.
Interesting the Apache was brought up. Like this robot it’s primarily designed to benefit the people who made it. Give me a Warthog for any 2 Apaches any day.
In general, the only real function for this crap is to burn taxpayer dollars and subsidize the military-industrial schmucks who feared losing money and power at the end of the Cold War.
Greedy neocons and candyass dems have taken care of that.
Worried about American soldiers? Quit sending them off to someone else’s country – to “defend us”. What a crock.
Without fully knowing how this robot works, I will say that I think the idea of an armed robot makes a ton of sense.
The problem with a firefight — from the beginning of the gun (or even arrows, I suppose) — is that you have to expose yourself to get a clear shot.
(I’ve never been a soldier but I’m right about this, aren’t I?)
I have wondered if there wasn’t even a simpler solution — a gun up on a tri-pod with a high rez camera/scope on it.
If you find yourself pinned down, you raise the gun and start aiming with the remote camera.
The advantage of this over a big ‘ole robot is that it can be carried and be in-place when you need it.
Greg Allen: The Israelis have developed a, relatively, cheap system for shooting around corners.
http://tinyurl.com/2gzb9e
I’ve heard of a way to shoot overhead without much exposure as well.
But what’s the point of those? They’d hardly make any money for the contractors.
It will take more than nylon stockings and Hershey bars to get one of these laid.
I wonder how much it will take for someone to just stole the bot and disassemble it to sell its parts in the Baghdad market. I know that if it were to be deployed in Colombia, it wouldn’t last 3 min… and then pirated/counterfeit versions would be sold a month later at 1/10th the price. Poor machine.
It could be said that at least you don’t have to worry about a robo warrior murdering an Iraqi family so it can rape their teenage daughter.
I certainly would say no such thing, however. Tactless.
But yeah, blind it with a balloon full of paint and finish it off with an RPG or suicide bomber.
Oh dear god
skynet………….
its only a matter of time……..