Editor’s note: This article is the fifth in an eight-part series led by retired General James Mingus, the thirty-ninth vice chief of staff of the Army, on transforming the Army to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s battlefield. You can read other articles in the series here.
The forest was silent, save for the faint hum of machines cutting through the air near Kharkiv. A heavily fortified Russian position stood as an unyielding obstacle—until the machines arrived. Without a single soldier stepping into the fray, Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade launched an operation that would rewrite the rules of combat. Drones armed with explosives struck with pinpoint accuracy, followed by a kamikaze robot that breached the enemy’s defenses. Moments later, as another unmanned vehicle approached, Russian troops surrendered—not to humans, but to machines. This unprecedented event, where soldiers laid down their arms to robotic systems alone, was more than a tactical victory; it was a glimpse into the future of warfare.
The proliferation of robotics and autonomous systems is altering the character of modern conflict. As these technologies change how we fight, what we fight with, and how we perceive our adversaries, military professionals must adapt their tactics, technology, and mindset to ensure their actions remain decisive and set them up to win.
Changing How We Fight
Autonomous systems are fundamentally changing the how of warfare. They accelerate the tempo of battle with unprecedented speed and precision, while enabling continuous, 24/7 operations unconstrained by human fatigue. Combat is conducted from secure, remote locations, minimizing direct human exposure to danger. Moreover, by automating routine tasks, these systems also reduce the cognitive burden on commanders. This allows leaders to focus on critical decision-making and command larger, more dispersed formations with greater agility.
This shift is most evident in the expansion of autonomous mission sets. Early automated systems were limited to remote-controlled intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Tomorrow, AI-driven platforms will independently perform complex tasks; a single platform will sense and identify a target, determine the system best positioned to engage, calculate fire control measures, engage the target, and assign an element to conduct battle damage assessment. This evolution from direct human control to managed autonomy allows a single operator to manage a swarm of drones or a team of robotic ground vehicles, demonstrating a new level of operational adaptability and multiplying their impact on the battlefield.
Changing What We Fight With
The instruments of war are also transforming. The modern arsenal is no longer defined solely by traditional manned platforms but by a suite of advanced, often unmanned, weaponry. Drones equipped with precision-guided munitions, like the Switchblade loitering munition, have become ubiquitous. Unmanned ground vehicles are deployed to breach obstacles, clear mines, and provide direct fire support.
Logistics, the backbone of any military operation, is also being revolutionized. Unmanned vehicles are increasingly tasked with resupply and casualty evacuation missions, reducing the need for vulnerable human-led convoys and protecting medical personnel from harm. Furthermore, these technologies introduce new domains of warfare into ground combat, where electronic interference, hacking, and AI-driven cyberattacks are as critical as controlling physical terrain.
Changing How We View the Adversary and Ourselves
Perhaps the most profound change is in the human dimension of conflict. The persistent, pervasive presence of autonomous systems could influence an adversary’s will to fight. Soldiers are subjected to constant surveillance that creates a debilitating state of anticipatory anxiety. This fear lingers even when drones are not present, as their long reach extends the danger zone far beyond the front lines, removing sanctuary. Highly maneuverable systems can circumvent traditional cover, leaving soldiers with the terrifying feeling that there is nowhere to hide. Facing an adversary that does not fear, hesitate, or tire has a deeply demoralizing effect, as demonstrated by the surrender in Kharkiv.
Simultaneously, these systems are altering the psychology of those who operate them. Drone piloting interfaces, often resembling video games, create a sense of detachment from the battlefield. Operators view the conflict through screens, their targets reduced to pixels, which can lead to a dehumanization of the enemy and a diminished sense of the consequences of their actions. This gamification of warfare distances combatants from the visceral reality of combat, raising some ethical questions. Delegating life-and-death decisions to machines creates a potential accountability gap, blurring the lines of responsibility for actions taken on the battlefield.
There is no single model that captures what the next conflict will demand. However, it is clear that the character of war is dramatically evolving. The rise of autonomous systems challenges long-held assumptions about the role of the soldier and the very essence of combat. The imperative for the military profession is clear: to fight and win on a battlefield where success depends not just on flesh and blood, but on silicon and steel.
Retired General James Mingus served as the thirty-ninth vice chief of staff of the Army.
Lieutenant Colonel Maggie Harris is an intelligence officer and the deputy director of the vice’s initiatives group.
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.
Image credit: Sgt. Kammen Taylor, US Army
