Robots versus robots: what an operation in Ukraine reveals about what future wars will be like.

Source: United24 Caption: Some of the drones, robots, and trucks used by Ukraine in the war against Russia. Author: Joe Tidy Author title: Cybersecurity correspondent, BBC World Service 26 minutes Reading time: 5 min The battlefield in Ukraine may soon have more robots than human soldiers: that is the surprising claim of a Ukrainian-British military company. The BBC visited the London offices of UFORCE, which are discreet and lack signage, a measure the company says is to protect it from potential Russian sabotage. It wanted to learn more about this company because of its involvement in what Ukraine calls an unprecedented military operation: the conquest of enemy territory using only robots and drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this claim in a video last month, highlighting Ukraine's newly developed robotic weapons. Both sides have used unmanned aerial and ground systems during the conflict, and analysts say the war has dramatically accelerated the development of military technology. It has also intensified the debate about the future of warfare and its implications for soldiers, both robotic and human. Source: Getty Images Caption: Zelenskyy participates in demonstrations to showcase the devices that Ukraine uses in the war against Russia. 150,000 combat missions Zelenskyy has been eager to tout what he called a first in the history of warfare, but the Ukrainian military has refused to provide details about the operation. Similarly, a UFORCE representative declined to comment on the robotic battle described in Zelenskyy's video, but said that UFORCE's aerial, ground, and maritime drones are used in combat operations. Skip to: Most Read and Continue Reading Most Read Skip to: Podcast and Continue Reading Improbable The new BBC Mundo podcast about a love that triumphed against all odds Episodes Skip to: End of Podcast "I can't go into details about the operation or how UFORCE participated, but we have successfully completed over 150,000 combat missions since the large-scale Russian invasion in 2022," said Rhiannon Padley, the company's director of strategic alliances in the UK. What is clear is that robotic weapons systems are big business. The company has grown rapidly and recently achieved "unicorn" status, meaning a private equity company valued at over US$1 billion. The video shown by Zelenskyy featured Ukrainian-made drones and weaponry. He added that the phenomenon of robots fighting robots is likely to become more common, even to the point where unmanned systems may outnumber human soldiers. Russia is also deploying robots designed to launch explosives against Ukrainian positions. Analysts say that advances in this technology will likely redefine how wars are fought in the future. "I really believe that Ukraine is a great learning ground for the future of national defense and armaments," said Melanie Sisson, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "It's a fascinating case study of how necessity drives invention." Source: United24 Caption: Some of UFORCE's ground drones feature computer-assisted systems to select their targets. UFORCE is part of a growing group of so-called "Neo-Prime" defense companies, which are challenging established firms like BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. One concern is the potential for unintended consequences. "The more autonomous these systems become, the greater the risk of errors or malfunctions," said Jacob Parakilas of RAND Europe. "And the more difficult it will be to assign responsibility when something goes wrong." Human rights groups are also warning about the ethical implications of increasingly autonomous weapons systems. "Delegating life-or-death decisions to machines raises profound ethical and human rights concerns," said Patrick Wilcken of Amnesty International. Weapon manufacturers argue that keeping "a human in the loop" addresses these concerns, insisting that decisions to use force still rest with military personnel. "Humans need rest and food, and in combat conditions, those needs are not always met," said Dr. Rich Drake, CEO of Anduril Industries in the UK. "Computing allows us to reduce errors throughout what we call the kill chain." Click here to read more stories from BBC News Mundo. Subscribe here to our new newsletter to receive a selection of our best content of the week every Friday. And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download the latest version and activate them.