US Marines are preparing to send killer “robotic goats” carrying rocket launchers into battle.
Troops began testing the so-called quadruped robotic platform at California’s Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) last month.
The exercise saw the agile bot showing off its moves before a rocket launcher test-fire situation was initiated.
US Marines shot a M72 LAW unguided anti-tank weapon from the goat’s back, while the unit was secured between sandbags for safety.
Deployment of the robots could allow human counterparts to stay in cover while the goat attacks the enemy.
According to an official report of the exercise, the Tactical Training and Exercise Control group (TTECG), in concert with the Office of Naval Research (ONR), “test fired an M72 Light Anti-tank Weapon rocket launcher from the robotic goat”.
The report added: “The robotic goat can carry various sensors or weapon systems that would otherwise be carried by a Marine.”
1st Lt. Aaron Safadi, officer in charge, the emerging technology integration section, TTECG, explained: “Instead of having a Marine handle the weapon system, manipulate the safeties, we could put a remote trigger mechanism on it that allowed it to all be done remotely.
“The Marine could be behind cover and concealment, the weapon system could go forward, and the Marine could manipulate the safeties from a safe place while allowing that weapon system to get closer to its target.”
No timeline has been given for deploying robotic goats, but the exercise is described as giving “Marines the opportunity to test emerging technology in an unscripted force-on-force exercise”.
