May 11, - Although armed conflicts have become less frequent over time, global military spending has risen sharply year after year to figures unprecedented in the history of warfare, according to futurism.
Much of this spending has been driven by the rise of the military tech industry.Between 2021 and 2023, in the U.S. alone, venture capital firms have poured $100 billion into military tech startups in hopes of securing lucrative contracts for everything from high-performance anti-drone systems to deadly drone swarms.
With so many startups and defense groups launching all sorts of hot hardware, it's hard to predict what the future of warfare will look like.
However, that didn't stopFranceand other countries to speculate. General Bruno Baratz, commander of the French Army's Future Combat Program, recently announced that France plans to have therobotSoldiers deployed to the front lines.
Speaking at a military robotics exercise near Paris, Baratz said, "We hope to make some progress within three years so that the first ground robots can equip our forces."
Baratz added that the French government expects to "deploy advanced systems of practical value to our fighting forces by 2040," citing a target date of 2021 for robotic deployment. The decision is part of a call by French military leaders to prepare for " high-intensity warfare," including upgrading equipment, increasing the number ofservicereserve forces, outsourcing to private contractors, and investing in high-tech drone and robotics programs.
The Barrons. In military robotics trials, unmanned devices equipped with legs, tracks and wheels were able to traverse obstacles and avoid traps, simulating battlefield conditions, the report said , according to the report. The French Army is expected to deploy the robotic devices for a range of tasks, from surveillance to remote maintenance to mine clearance.
Gen. Tony Maffis, head of the French Army's technical department, said, "Now we need to prove that [robots] can be more efficient when engaging with opponents. Robots must facilitate combat, not hinder it."
While France has cited the Russian-Ukrainian war as a reason for adopting high-tech hardware, French President Emmanuel Macron recently confirmed , that France will not be sending its military into the conflict - which begs an important question: what exactly will France's robot army be used for.
The European superpower is currently withdrawing its troops from former African colonies such as Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso, in what some critics have warned is a smokescreen for France's well known secret plans to revive its military presence across the continent.
France has previously employed tactics such as economic warfare in Guinea, drone espionage in the Central African Republic and the transfer of high-tech weapons to the oil-rich country of Guyana.
No one can guess how France will deploy its cutting-edge military technology in the future, but it's hard to imagine it sitting in a warehouse gathering dust.