How far is it from actual combat to use unmanned equipment to improve logistical material support?

There is no doubt that the status and role of unmanned equipment in modern warfare are becoming increasingly important. Compared with direct unmanned equipment confrontation on the battlefield, the application of unmanned military logistics equipment is undoubtedly developing more rapidly and is less difficult to popularize. Future battlefields cannot be separated from perfect and reliable logistics support, but if unmanned technology wants to play the role of "logistics captain", it still needs to overcome many difficulties.

How to improve the confidentiality of logistics data and ensure the security of technology and intelligence information will be the first challenge we face. There is a classic description of military intelligence and logistics supply in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" - when Zhuge Liang, the military commander of Shu Han, was preparing to withdraw his troops, he arranged for logistics personnel to add a stove every time a team of soldiers was withdrawn, so that the increasing smoke would confuse the opponent and make the opponent mistakenly believe that Shu Han was still increasing its troops, so that they would not dare to launch an attack easily. It can be seen that logistics support seems to be far away from the front-line battlefield, but in fact it is an integral part of the entire battle situation. In other words, if unmanned systems want to play a role in logistics support, they must provide reliable confidentiality measures to prevent unauthorized entry and control and prevent data and technology leaks.

Traditional battlefield logistics mainly involves people and machinery, but with the development of unmanned technology, how to use and ensure cost-effectiveness is another difficult problem. Whether the high-intensity use of unmanned systems is stable, efficient, and reliable, and whether the R&D cost, time, and effect at key technical nodes can match the actual logistics value are important indicators of the cost-effectiveness of unmanned logistics. Imagine if the logistics dominated by unmanned technology has problems with excessive R&D costs and use costs, it will not only fail to bring sufficient resource support to the front-line battlefield, but will become a huge drag.

The U.S. military's K-MAX unmanned cargo helicopter (Photo source: PLA Daily)

Although the battlefield of logistics support is less smoke-filled, it is still full of dangers. How to avoid the inherent disadvantages of unmanned equipment is also an important research and development direction for many countries. For example, the K-MAX unmanned helicopter of the US Marine Corps was used to deliver supplies to combat outposts in the battlefield of Afghanistan, and people praised its battlefield performance. Although this unmanned helicopter provides strong support for continuous ground combat operations, the Marine Corps still lacks confidence in it, mainly because of its survivability problem - this drone flies very low and slow, has obvious characteristics, is easy to be discovered, and cannot survive in harsh environments - for typical unmanned equipment design and hardware defects, R&D personnel still have a long way to go.

Unmanned battlefield delivery organized by Zhengzhou Joint Logistics Support Center (Photo source: Central Theater Command WeChat account)

Given the numerous problems, why do many countries regard the logistics support of unmanned technology as an important research and development direction? The reason is simple. Compared with these problems, the actual value it brings is worthy of human breakthrough and innovation.

First of all, it is characterized by non-contact and zero casualties. Military logistics is not only about material distribution, it also faces the risk of casualties at all times. Unmanned operations meet the needs of unconventional warfare and the requirement of zero casualties. In fact, "only war, no casualties" is the ultimate form of warfare for many military commanders.

Unmanned ground logistics equipment has a large load capacity, high speed and good mobility. Unmanned logistics equipment can provide support for field troops on foot in rugged terrain. For example, the well-known "Big Dog" logistics robot that provides accompanying support for troops earlier can be fully loaded with supplies and equipment and follow the troops. It can not only travel through rugged areas, but can even accompany soldiers over mountains and follow them to places where vehicles cannot enter.

Data map of the Big Dog robot (Source: PLA Daily )

Unmanned logistics support has the advantages of short supply cycle and fast response speed. The US military K-MAX unmanned cargo helicopter mentioned above can deliver small, lightweight (less than 90 kg), urgently needed items along the line, which is very efficient and practical. In Afghanistan, the aircraft transported more than 2,000 tons of cargo for the US Marine Corps and carried out thousands of delivery missions. Unmanned logistics supply has small targets and low noise in operation, which can keep the supply base away from the battlefield, forming a noisy or even invisible logistics supply line, which not only makes it difficult for the enemy to start, but also reduces casualties on its own side, and can take on major tasks in the future.

Expert profile: Wang Teng, a popular science expert on military equipment, holds a master's degree from the Army Armored Forces Academy. He has worked in frontline military news at CCTV and People's Daily, and has participated in the planning and production of many military science and technology topics. He has been conducting popular science research on domestic and foreign high-tech equipment and main combat equipment of various arms for a long time. He has published articles on platforms such as People's Daily Overseas Edition, Legal Daily, and Science Popularization China, and won the Advanced Individual Award issued by the "National Informatization Leading Group".

Produced by: Popular Science of Chinese Military Technology

Author: Wang Teng (senior military science writer)

Scientific review: Wang Mingzhi (military expert)

Planning: Jin He

Producer: Guangming Online Science Department