Armed robots soon marching to battle?

[Silverhair]

http://www4.army.mil/news/article.php?story=6613

"December 3, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla. (Army News Service, Dec. 3, 2004) – Soldiers may have armed robots as battle buddies by early next year, according to industry and military officials attending the biennial Army Science Conference.

The Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System, or SWORDS, will be joining Stryker Brigade Soldiers in Iraq when it finishes final testing, said Staff Sgt. Santiago Tordillos, a bomb disposal test and evaluation NCOIC with the EOD Technology Directorate of the Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.

“We’re hoping to have them there by early 2005,” Tordillos said. “The Soldiers I’ve talked to want them yesterday.”

The system consists of a weapons platform mounted on a Talon robot, a product of the engineering and technology development firm Foster-Miller. The Talon began helping with military operations in Bosnia in 2000, deployed to Afghanistan in early 2002 and has been in Iraq since the war started, assisting with improvised explosive device detection and removal. Talon robots have been used in about 20,000 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Foster-Miller reports."

This is basically the bomb disposal robot with a gun, sighting & aiming system installed. All the technology is already proven stuff, just the first time it has been assembled this way in one package. So the thing should work as advertised. That will then be the spur to develop robots designed for combat from scratch. Since all the technology already exists, the design phase should not take long at all.

The robots do require a human to control them.

[Az]

1. Never heard of the predator?

It's a remote guided air drone that can be mounted with missiles.

[Silverhair]

3. Yes. But this thing is on the ground.

The Air Force has long been against craft like the Predator as it does away with the need for pilots, and it is a lot cheaper than a manned plane.

The Army, however takes a different view. If they can get a machine to do a soldier's job in battle, everybody is happy - except the enemy.

[AwakeAtLast]

2. So that's why Bush said there would be no draft!

Silly Democrats! We had this plan to whole time, no need to worry about a draft! (sarcasm now off)

[Silverhair]

4. Actually, in the first debate Bush mentioned robots.

It was on the question about the draft. He said that robots would soon be coming into use. It was just one sentence, and then he didn't ever say anything more about it. It was like he had slipped up and talked about something he wasn't supposed to let out just yet. Maybe I am reading too much into that one sentence of his. But he did mention it, then never again.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. Will SKYNET control these things?

[norml]

10. And when will Foster-Miller change it's name to Cyberdyne?

I must do some research on Foster-Miller.

[aquart]

6. At a cost of...?

[Silverhair]

8. First ones, $250K. As production steps up, $180K.

However, that is a lot cheaper than a dead soldier, and these would be used for the most dangerous stuff. Further, electronics systems are always getting cheaper, so I expect prices to come down further. The real headache is that it doesn't use cutting edge technology. In other words, countries that we don't think of as major tech countries could slap something like this together also.

[Old and In the Way]

7. We will win the technology battle of war, but I think we'll lose

our soul in the process. There is something really wrong when there is no human price to be paid for making war.....

[mark11727]

9. Early Prototype...

[norml]

11. Foster-Miller is owned by QinetiQ which is managed by The Carlyle Group

Hmm,The Carlyle Group,now where have I heard of them?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPENDIX 5



Memorandum submitted by QinetiQ trade unions (22 January 2003)

1. The trade unions in QinetiQ represent 9,500 staff in the organisation operating on 18 sites on a multiplicity of roles including land, sea and air defence systems.


2. The trade unions gave a cautious welcome to the announcement that the Carlyle Group has been selected as the preferred bidder to help run the QinetiQ organisation. When if was further announced on 5 December that the Ministry of Defence had sold a stake in the company to the Carlyle Group the unions continued to express a cautious viewpoint. This was based on the following.


3. The trade unions have long expressed their concern over the sell off of the former DERA organisation because of fears that a buyer would leave QinetiQ vulnerable to asset stripping and breaking up of sensitive and prestigious defence projects. The desire of the staff is to keep the company intact and to have a long-term successful future. The trade unions are very concerned that should flotation occur the requirements of the City, which operates essentially for a short term return on investments, will cause pressure to concentrate on whatever core business will make most money quickly and dispose of the remainder.


4. As a model the Committee is invited to examine the case of AEA Technology that was floated following separation from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in 1996. this company had a similar ex public sector high tech profile to QinetiQ. Following a good start two profits warnings followed within two years. The consequences were that in order to survive AEA Technology had to sell off its core (and profitable) nuclear interests and as a result half the staff that were originally transferred on privatisation were sold off.


5. The Carlyle group in its Fact Sheet (updated 2 September 2003) states "Our mission is to generate extraordinary returns" for its investors. A similar promise to the city in 1996 that AEA Technology would generate 20% year on year profits was its downfall. Our view remains that such a strategy in QinetiQ will lead to loss of long term project planning, wholesale job cuts, an attack on the terms and conditions of staff and an eventual break up of the business.


6. The majority of QinetiQ staff have transferred terms and conditions protected under TUPE including redundancy compensation and a good final salary pension scheme. These staff benefits are likely to be seen as a liability by investors. The trade unions will do everything in their power to protect their members' conditions in this regard. Such contractual terms cannot be disposed of lightly.


7. The Company announced on 18 October a share scheme for staff. This has been made possibly by an investment by the Carlyle Group. However, we are most disappointed that the MoD contribution is very limited. In addition, there are restrictions on the investments allowed by staff compounded by the fact that some managers are being given preferential treatment. In fairness we consider strongly that al staff should be given an equal opportunity to share in the company.


8. Our concerns about these matters including the selection of the Carlyle group as investor were raised with the Minister Dr Lewis Moonie in letters from John Billard on 18 September and 27 November 2002. other than giving general assurances on the reasons for the selection of the Carlyle Group, the minister refused to meet the unions face to face to hear their apprehensions. This evasion has not helped the unions to convince their members that the government is acting in their interest in planning the future of QinetiQ. This is bound to have been a sensitive matter for the staff and our historic opposition to the privatisation for these reasons was well known. We think that this should have led to us being heard at first hand. We remain available for such a meeting.


9. MoD has a close relationship with the company particularly as QinetiQ operates facilities deemed strategic by the Department. However, such designations can change and then being deemed non-strategic can place the company under extreme short-tern economic pressure to close a facility. We argue that an approach should be adopted to allow QinetiQ to make business decisions in the longer term. In addition, the company may be faced with restructuring costs, including redundancies, as a result of these decisions. We consider strongly that these costs should be borne by MoD as it has done in previous restructurings where there has been a private operator eg in the dockyards and at AWE.


10. The trade unions wish to emphasis to the Committee that they wish to retain the cordial relations that presently exist with QinetiQ managers at all levels. It is in everybody's interest that QinetiQ is a commercial success. It is considered that the recently signed partnership agreement, endorsed by the minister, will provide an essential foundation for agreement on the way forward provided out concerns set out above are addressed

[norml]

12. On the purchase of QinetiQ by The Carlyle Group.

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December 05, 2002
# 2002-24
Sale of a Stake in QinetiQ PLC to The Carlyle Group

London - The Ministry of Defence has agreed the terms under which The Carlyle Group will become its strategic partner to assist in the future development of QinetiQ, Defence Minister Lewis Moonie announced today.

Dr Moonie said: "The strategic partnership with The Carlyle Group keeps QinetiQ on course to become a leading science and technology company that aspires to be the envy of the world. The Carlyle Group shares our vision for the future of QinetiQ and is well placed to support the management team in building a company, which we expect to flourish commercially, based on its commitment to excellence."

"QinetiQ will remain a British company based in the UK. MOD will retain a Special Share in the business to ensure that the nation's defence and security interests continue to be protected. There will also be robust safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest and to ensure that the integrity of the Government's procurement process is not compromised".

"This is good news for taxpayers, who will benefit from the immediate sale proceeds as well as from QinetiQ's potential increase in value over time. And it is good news for QinetiQ's employees who will have the opportunity to invest in the future of the business through a staff equity scheme and will each receive a small free allocation of share options. Today's announcement marks a new future for science and technology in Britain."

The sale follows MOD's decision in March this year to seek a strategic partner to invest in QinetiQ, and the selection of The Carlyle Group as preferred bidder in September. The transaction values QinetiQ at around £500m. Following adjustments to reflect current assets and liabilities, MOD will receive between £140 and £150m from the transaction (the final amount will depend on the company's exact financial position at completion), in addition to £50m already received from QinetiQ as part of the purchase price for its assets. Subject to the satisfactory fulfilment of a number of final conditions, formal completion of the sale process is expected early in the New Year,

Carlyle will acquire a 33.8% economic interest in QinetiQ with a further 3.7% of the shares to be made available for the employees. MOD's retention of a 62.5% current stake in the business will ensure that the taxpayer shares in the benefits of the growth in QinetiQ, which we anticipate will follow the introduction of a strategic partner. The MOD plans to sell its entire stake in QinetiQ within 3-5 years, probably through a flotation on the stock market.

Management control and responsibility for setting future commercial strategy will now lie with QinetiQ and The Carlyle Group, allowing them to make appropriate decisions to grow the value of the business. MOD will retain those rights which are conventional for a major shareholder.

QinetiQ's Board of Directors, chaired by Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, will be augmented by the appointment of two Carlyle nominees - Glenn Youngkin, a Managing Director of The Carlyle Group, and Sir Denys Henderson. MOD also has the right to appoint two non-executive directors.

Sir John Chisholm, QinetiQ's Chief Executive commented: "Working together, QinetiQ and The Carlyle Group will be a strong team with complementary experience. We can now be even more confident of achieving our ultimate goal of moving from a European leader to a global technological solutions provider for our diverse range of customers. Carlyle's investment secures a bright, long-term future for our business, our employees and our customers."

Glenn Youngkin, The Carlyle Group's Managing Director in London, commented: "We are impressed with the quality of the business and are looking forward to supporting such a capable and ambitious management team. We can see enormous opportunities to grow the value of the business, harnessing innovation to create profitable commercial applications."


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