Robotic and Autonomous Systems: From design to development and use in military operations

Though long seen as the future of warfare, the application of RAS is relatively new and experimental in most militaries, including in the Dutch Armed Forces. In 2018, the Royal Netherlands Army established an experimental unit to explore the use of RAS and research key topics on the application of such systems by militaries.

This article is a summary of the army’s Concept Development & Experimentation (CD&E) plan and its research on RAS for Military use, conducted over a two-year period at the RAS unit of CLAS situated at the 13 light brigade. This paper builds on previous research on military applications of RAS and briefly discusses questions of autonomy, as well as ethical and legal considerations. This paper highlights the importance of attempting a different approach within the army to keep up with technical innovations but reflects on the challenges that can arise within a large bureaucratic organization.

Read the full report – visit The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies website.