Deployment of Robot Soldiers by China along the Indian Border and Its Repercussions

The Potential of Technology

The PLA troops were facing harsh climatic conditions and other geographical difficulties in the higher altitudes, therefore, the government decided to deploy automated weapons on wheels controlled remotely. The robots mirroring an image of a toy tank called Sharp Claws by China have machine guns attached and can move around without any wire connections. Reports suggest that 88 Sharp Claws have been positioned in Tibet and around 38 of them in the Ladakh region [1]. These unmanned ground vehicles are manufactured by the Chinese arms developer NORINCO. Complementing them is the Mule 200 serving as a transport vehicle for supplying ammunition to the PLA. Experts suggest that they can haul up to 200 kilograms of ammunition, supplies, or weapons for a distance of approximately 50 kilometers. China has reported to station 120 of such supply machines to support the Chinese forces at the border [2].

Furthermore, China is targeting to develop weapons using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Inducting such weapons having a mind of their own in the military would provide a cutting edge to China in the global security arena. The Communist government is gradually moving to augment its military strength by implementing AI in defense applications, providing support to command and decision making, military deductions, defense equipment, and related applications. To make this a reality, China unveiled a new ‘AI Development Plan’ in 2017 to advocate its use in the PLA [3]. Various private enterprises such as Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba, and others were tagged as ‘AI Champions’ back then. The rate of technological development undertaken by the private sector is double the amount of what the state-run companies could perform, therefore, the PLA has high expectations from the sector and hope to advantage excessively from the rapid rate of advancement by such companies.

There are many upcoming projects revolving around AI technology put forth by all the wings of PLA. For instance, the PLA Ground force is developing robots for the military, the PLA Navy is working on autonomous submarines, whereas the PLA Air force is evolving the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with capabilities of learning by itself.

The intricacy in automatization around the world is that there isn't any global treaty on autonomous weapons to maintain regulation in this aspect. Even the major arms-producing countries are not steering their way in for the same. International human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have exhorted countries around the world to terminate the development of war robots. However, robots have proven to be highly potent in the field of intelligence. Technology is immune to honey traps or various other subversions. Robot soldiers are considered impeccable and AI makes the experience more effective. Hence, the cost and benefit analysis conundrum is stifling the efforts of human rights proponents.

Indian Concerns

Robot soldiers planted by PLA at the Indo-China border will change the battles in the future. The world is going through a transitional phase in matters of technology. Borders are no more guarded by human actions but are converted into smart structures. The fences with barbed wires have additional gadgets such as night vision cameras, round-the-clock CCTVs, and motion sensors for heightened surveillance. The non-conventional warcraft is gaining momentum among countries. And China lifted it to another level using robots to patrol and defend the borders, leading to a robotic war genesis. Soldier machines might escalate complexities at the borders especially a tragic border such as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) where the Galwan woes are still hovering. However, the Indian troops are being supportive of robots being deployed as it will definitely be a breather for the real soldiers [4]. It does not concern India extensively until and unless China plays fair and does not involve in any trickery. The real apprehensions lie in the future. The pace at which China is developing technology is unsettling. The country has the world's highest percentage of rare earth minerals (REMs) and has a strong network of product supply chains devising into a large-scale manufacturing hub. Therefore, Sharps Claws and Mule-200s would be counted as just a beginning to a whole new model of PLA war dynamics. Robot soldiers are going to turn the Indo-China border uneasy in the next decade. There will be more instances of mistrust between the countries as the human factor guarding and coordinating at the border would be lost. Indian troops may feel more heat due to the state of uncertainty, unreliability, and huge risks at its western border with China and soon outreaching the eastern border. The stakes are higher as Pakistan is a loyal ally of China which could burden India's international borders with such autonomous ground vehicles carrying ammunition.

Conclusion

Functioning at high altitudes in a freezing temperature is an extremely difficult task for the PLA soldiers. The government was very well aware of the injuries suffered by these brave men during the winter season. Therefore, the decision to deploy armed robotic vehicles in such difficult terrain is intended to ease operations for them, as reports suggest. The autonomous robots including Sharps Claws and Mule-200s were acquired by China in 2014, however, their positioning was not a success until now [5]. The country is altering the strategies of protecting international borders with inaccessible and inhospitable areas. Another machine developed by China is the world’s largest electric-powered quadruped bionic robot for logistics delivery and reconnaissance missions in the regions wherein human soldiers find it challenging to sustain [6]. The idea behind replacing human scouts is to reduce casualties, however, equipping them with weapons and excessive ammo would destabilize the way warcraft is conducted for now. The process of developing robot soldiers has to be balanced globally and be a collaborative effort.

References:

[1] https://arunachal24.in/china-deploys-robot-soldiers-in-ladakh-region/

[2] https://eurasiantimes.com/chinese-pla-deploys-machine-gun-wielding-robots-near-indian-border-will-robotic-warriors-change-the-battles-of-future/

[3]https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-deploys-robot-soldiers-along-the-border-with-india-441284

[4] https://www.newsncr.com/national/india-china-dispute-chinas-claims-of-deploying-robotic-soldiers-on-the-border-are-open-pole-so-far-no-robot-has-been-seen/

[5] https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-unmanned-vehicles-armed-robots-standoff-indian-forces

[6] https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202201/1246094.shtml

Pic Courtsey-Arseny Togulev at unsplash.com

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)