By the middle of the 21st century, ground forces will employ tens of thousands of robots, and the decisions of human commanders will be shaped by artificial intelligence; trends in technology and warfare make this a near certainty. The military organizations of the United States and its allies and partners must plan now for this new era of warfare.
This study by CSBA and Major General Mick Ryan (Australian Army) examines the key drivers, opportunities, and challenges for ground forces in developing future human-machine teams. It provides an intellectual foundation for the detailed analysis of the personnel, equipment, training, education, doctrine, sustainment, and infrastructure required by allied forces in the next five years and out to 2030 to build a future human-machine force. Ultimately, these efforts should be considered in order to explore the future potential of exploiting this as-yet-underdeveloped capability.