Robots are in the air but now a new class of fighting robots are ready to hit the battle field. Teleoperated bomb disposal robots are already used in Iraq and elsewhere but they don't shoot back. The new units arriving feb 2006 are fighters not expendable bomb disposal units or robots that are sent into a suspect building to find the bad guys with a fetish for high explosive underwear.
Talon sword will be begin active duty fighting the enemy. The 'bot' is 'weaponized' with guns and rockets added. See http://www.foster-miller.com/lemming.htm and http://www.foster-miller.com/literature/documents/Weaponized_Talon.pdf
See also:this movie
http://military.discovery.com/videogalleries/warbots/warbots.html?clik=military_leftnav#SWORDS_Robot
Until now only a soldier can hold ground. A grunt is needed to protect tanks from other grunts with RPG's. A human is needed to check vehicles at the checkpoint. Some unlucky individual needs to go into a building to see if the occupant is friend or foe or a bunch of cowering confused children.
A B52 can't take people prisoner. A cruise missile can't interrogate people. A tank round can'’t notice a key document or retrieve a lap top.
Until now that'’s been the reason why we send the poor bloody infantry in.
Talon Sword will change that. It's still operated by a human but the operator is in a safe place; preferably a base or an Armoured vehicle. It can go in harms way and find out what'’s around the corner or what'’s in the next room. It can go over the top or charge up the hill.
If the enemy is encountered the robot can fight using either a rifle, grenade launcher or a light machine gun. Is backed up with other robots equipped a sniper weapon or rocket launchers. The sword is no bigger that a dog but it packs a bark that goes bang and a bite that goes boom.
