The experiment is being conducted at the Red Sands Integrated Experimental Facility, a joint military research facility in Saudi Arabia. Military.com writes that it opened last year.

What is known about the new weapon

The Ghost Robotics Vision 60, or Q-UGV, is produced by the newly formed South Korean company Ghost Robotics. He is a pioneer in research into robotic dogs for shooting in the West. The machine with artificial intelligence was described by a representative of the US Department of Defense as one of “several” pieces of equipment that should be part of the arsenal to combat drones. However, the army representative refused to provide detailed information about the technology.

Often such machines are equipped with cameras and other sensors that, like real dogs, can see and hear better than humans. It is not clear exactly how the AI ​​affects the robot’s characteristics and what functions it performs, but it seems that this technology is used to control the gun turret (track the drone, aim, correct position in real time). Maybe even shootings, but most likely they are still carried out by one person.

It is worth noting that Similar technology is also being developed by China. Previously, the country demonstrated these in exercises held with Cambodian troops in May 2024. They were also armed with machine guns but did not fire during the exercises. Although we’ve probably seen them in action in a few unverified videos that have hit the internet at various times.

According to Military.com, the US Department of Defense, Every year more and more robot dogs join combat units to perform various tasks — from detonating explosive devices and perimeter protection to surveillance and intelligence gathering. Therefore, it is not surprising that the country is also considering such a usage option.

It is unknown when this technology will be fully used. An Army spokesperson told Military.com that the Army is simply trying to “explore the realm of the possible when it comes to transformative capabilities for future combat formations.”