Army tests combat squad pairing soldiers with drones, robot dogs

SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - South Korea’s Army has launched a trial unit that combines soldiers with drones, quadruped robots, multipurpose unmanned ground vehicles and autonomous vehicles at the squad level, as it seeks to test future combat formations built around manned-unmanned teaming.

The Army said Wednesday it held a launch ceremony for an experimental manned-unmanned squad at the 11th Maneuver Division in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province.

The squad consists of eight personnel: four combat troops and four unmanned systems operators. It marks the first time the Army has integrated soldiers and multiple types of unmanned systems into a squad-level unit for field testing.

Under the trial, the unit will test different combinations of drones, robot dogs, unmanned ground vehicles and autonomous vehicles depending on the mission. The Army plans to refine how such assets should be organized and deployed depending on mission requirements.

The Army said the experiment will help shape future unit structures and combat procedures by testing how unmanned systems can support soldiers in surveillance, reconnaissance and high-risk operations.
  “We will test the effectiveness of applying manned-unmanned combat systems to frontline units,” said Maj. Gen. Lee Kyung-jin, chief of the Army Headquarters’ policy office. “Based on soldiers’ operational experience and the results of the demonstration, we will further develop unit structures, equipment and combat procedures suited to our military’s operational environment.”

The Army said it will begin with squad-level trials this year, expand the demonstration to the company level next year and then to the battalion level in 2028.

The Army also plans to conduct a separate trial to assess whether humanoid robots can be used for base security missions.

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