This article kicks off a new series of insights from recently retired IDF General Sa’ar Tzur, who has joined Ottopia's Advisory Board. Together, we’re helping shape U.S. Armed Forces doctrine and strategy for deploying unmanned capabilities in warfare, drawing from lessons learned in the ongoing Middle East war. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.
The following abstracted battle scenario is based on real operational experience, and used to highlight the future of ground robotics and autonomy.
“Following the enemy's return to the area and the materialization of a series of security incidents, political leadership ordered a large-scale maneuver toward the core areas from which missiles and rockets were being launched. Even before the maneuver commenced, while aerial strikes were being conducted against pre-planned targets and objectives, the integrated combat teams operated in a robotic forward guard configuration. They were integrated into brigade and battalion combat teams in a manner that optimized their capabilities while significantly reducing risk to our forces. They were deployed to vulnerability points, fence breaches, and initial friction zones with the enemy. Additional teams served as deception forces to destabilize and expose the enemy, while integrated human-machine combat teams maintained tactical distance for medical evacuation and force resupply. These operations were controlled through teleoperation, providing remote oversight and control to reduce risks for ground personnel”.
The Vision of Robotics in Warfare
In July 2024, outgoing U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley stated that “Ten to fifteen years from now, my guess is a third of the US military will be robotic." General Milley thus set the trajectory for the most significant vector in ground warfare: robotics and autonomy.
Evolution in Robotics and Autonomy
In the coming decade, fully autonomous robots will not operate independently and replace soldiers on the battlefield. Instead, robots will operate alongside humans, directed by humans. While autonomy will progress rapidly, teleoperation will continue to serve as a bridge: teleoperation enables human operators to control robotic systems in high-risk combat environments, with autonomy changing the nature of that control over time. For example, as autonomy improves, soldiers will shift from controlling one robot at a time to controlling units of multiple robots - all coordinated through teleoperation.
Ground Robotics: A Reality Today
Ground robotics are already a battlefield reality today: Militaries with ground robots can better achieve and maintain "ground superiority" through significant reduction in battlefield casualties and enhanced maneuver resilience, which in turn increases effectiveness and operational output of brigade and battalion combat teams. By combining advanced teleoperation with limited autonomy, militaries field ground robots today.
Militaries with ground robots can better achieve and maintain "ground superiority" through significant reduction in battlefield casualties and enhanced maneuver resilience.
Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)
The U.S. Army defines manned-unmanned teaming as "synchronized employment of soldiers, manned and unmanned air and ground vehicles, robotics, and sensors, to achieve enhanced situational understanding, greater lethality, and improved force protection." Technological advancement enables the integration of remotely controlled aerial and ground robotic teams into ground force units.
Ukraine recently showed a glimpse of the future by combining unmanned ground and aerial vehicles into a single remotely controlled attack. The evolution of such tactics represents the next decade-plus of warfare: unmanned ground and aerial vehicles fighting alongside manned vehicles, with increasing levels of autonomy and increasing sophistication of the remote control mechanism.
The Changing Battlefield
The battlespace grows increasingly dense, compressed, and challenging each year. Challenges emerge early in combat, with enemy tactics designed to sow surprise in our ranks and with compression and density exposing our forces to many different threats. Teleoperation will be crucial in navigating the future battlespace, as it enables remote decision-making and real-time control of robotic units in high-pressure environments.
Teleoperation will be crucial in navigating the future battlespace, as it enables remote decision-making and real-time control of robotic units in high-pressure environments.
Ground Robotics and Autonomy: Operational Requirements
Ground robotics and autonomy enables multi-dimensional maneuver efforts to create local ground superiority based on enemy detection and destruction, territory capture, continuity, sustainability, and maneuver resilience. Teleoperation will be essential in this process, allowing for the dynamic and remote control of robotic forces across different environments. Ground robotics and autonomy deployed in a MUM-T framework can deliver operational achievements of high tactical and even strategic value.
Conclusion: The Future of Teleoperation in Combat
In conclusion, the battlespace is undergoing a revolutionary change where human-machine teams (MUM-T) are expected to fulfill critical roles in future wars. The integration of semi-autonomous systems, robots, and AI with human forces is changing how military operations will be conducted, affecting combat concepts and techniques at both strategic and tactical levels.
Over the next decade, full autonomy of ground vehicles in complex battlespaces will remain a future vision. However, the role of autonomy will expand. The human-machine connection, facilitated by teleoperation, will enable soldiers to make the most of autonomous capabilities while transforming the battlespace into a highly effective integrated combat space. Teleoperation will be the key enabler in this transformation, allowing operators to control and command robotic systems remotely while still retaining critical decision-making capabilities.
