Fighting with Robots: The Time to Prepare is Now
Kevin Bradley | 07.10.25
On December 20, 2024, Ukraine’s successfully conducted an “all-robot” ground and air attack, with dozens of drones in the air and unmanned ground platforms coordinated in an assault against a Russian position in Kharkiv oblast. The remarkable achievement highlighted the rapid integration of robotic systems into current military formations. Human-machine integrated formations are no longer speculative concepts—they are operational necessities. US Army Futures Command, created to transform the Army to ensure war-winning readiness, is developing unmanned ground and aerial drones in order to not sacrifice the lives of soldiers in our next fight. Use of unmanned systems allows the Army to automate our riskiest tasks and to field robotic systems that enable leaders to make faster, better-informed decisions. The tactical formations of tomorrow will be hybrid in nature—comprised of soldiers and intelligent machines fighting together.
But fielding robotic platforms is not enough. The materiel component of this change in the character of warfare is paired with a cognitive element. To effectively command in the future, young leaders must understand robotic systems and how to employ them. Leaders must know what is required to win with robots, and the time to begin preparing is now.
If you polled senior Army leaders, the number one characteristic they would say a future leader must possess is adaptability. In doctrinal terms, they must be able “to influence conditions and respond effectively to changing threats and situations with appropriate, flexible, and timely actions.” To effectively lead a human-machine integrated formation, soldiers must develop technical and digital fluency that matches their physical endurance and tactical knowledge. Tactical decision-making will increasingly rely not only on the warfighting expertise honed by hard training, but also on the ability to operate and understand complex systems—both hardware and software.
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/fighting-with-robots-the-time-to-prepare-is-now/
