From man’s best friend to a killing machine, robodogs with automatic rifles went through drills for a 15-day exercise between Chinese and Cambodian troops. Despite having guns mounted on their backs, these dogs didn’t bite, not firing a single shot during the drills that started on May 16.
The exercise between the two militaries in Cambodia is known as Golden Dragon. This year’s iteration is reportedly the largest between the two countries.
During the training mission, the dystopian-looking K-9s demonstrated their master of leaping, walking and lying down. The Chinese military said that the robodogs will replace some humans in combat, identifying threats, conducting reconnaissance and striking targets with the automatic rifles mounted to their backs.
The robodogs are meant to take point for infantry, sniffing out dangers before they can hurt friendly troops.
The desire by China’s People Liberation Army to show off the new tech on its heavily restricted social media could signal a breakthrough in the technology or more propaganda. Chinese state-run media said that the presence of the robodogs alongside foreign militaries shows it may be in the advanced stages of development.
China is not alone in its efforts to develop these robotic killing machines. The U.S. Air Force also demonstrated the ability of its robodogs to quickly detect enemy threats and for scouting.
This year’s Golden Dragon exercise between China and Cambodia consisted of 2,000 troops using 14 warships, two choppers and 69 armored vehicles, as well as the powerful pooches.
