LONDON, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Defense (MOD) said Wednesday the British army is set to redefine warfare with the launch of a game-changing Autonomous Warrior.
Autonomous Warrior, the 2018 Army Warfighting Experiment, will push the boundaries of technology and military capability in land environments, said the MOD.
One of the key areas it is to test is the autonomous last mile resupply on battlegrounds and war zones.
The so-called last mile' which represents the extremely dangerous final approach to a combat zone, is crucial to ensuring soldiers have the food, fuel and ammunition to keep them alive.
The Autonomous Warrior experiment will test a range of prototype unmanned aerial and ground cargo vehicles which aim to reduce the danger to troops during combat.
The British Army is to launch a four-week exercise in November with an armed infantry battlegroup providing the exercising troops and taking responsibility of command and control.
The British soldiers will test and evaluate the effectiveness of robotic and autonomous systems on the battlefield.
"These technological advances will play a key role in the army's strike capability, ensuring our forces remain unmatched on the global stage," said a spokesperson for the MOD.
Mark Lancaster,minister of state for the armed forces, said: "Our armed forces continue to push the limits of innovative warfare to ensure we stay ahead of any adversaries or threats faced on the battlefield.
"Autonomous Warrior sets an ambitious vision for army operations in the 21st Century as we integrate drones, unmanned vehicles and personnel into a world-class force for decades to come."
As well as demonstrating the vehicles during the last mile, Autonomous Warrior will also develop capabilities in surveillance which will greatly improve the effectiveness of long-range and precision targeting by service personnel.
The British military's new Chief of the General Staff, Gen Mark Carleton-Smith called for British forces to be "combat ready today and prepared for tomorrow".
Carleton-Smith said the nature of warfare is broadening beyond the traditional physical domains, adding that 21st Century battlefield requires non-traditional skills, beyond those normally associated with careers in army, to ensure British forces remain world leaders.
In a speech Wednesday, Gen Mark Carleton-Smith said: "Autonomous Warrior will play an integral role within the 800 million pound (1.05 billion U.S. dollars) Defense Innovation Fund which supports ground-breaking ideas aimed at transforming both defense and British industry."
