Robotic wolves add more teeth to modern combat

China North Industries Group Corp, the country's biggest land armaments maker, has developed a series of quadruped combat robots — dubbed "robotic wolves" by engineers — that it is now promoting on the international market.

"We can offer buyers three models of robotic wolves — Yuxue, the strike model; Anying, which is tasked with surveillance and reconnaissance; and Jidi, which is responsible for logistics tasks," said Zeng Kan, project manager for the combat machines at the State-owned conglomerate's Automation Research Institute in Mianyang, Sichuan province.

He added that the robotic wolves have "sturdy bodies, smart brains, and strong fighting capabilities".

Zeng said that the robotic wolves are powered by batteries that can be replaced conveniently and quickly, allowing the robots to run for at least two hours at a time. The robots can climb stairs, navigate uneven ground, and operate on mountains and in sandy terrain. Thanks to powerful motors, the four-legged robots can carry a load of 25 kilograms and easily climb steps that are 30 centimeters high.

On receiving mission commands, the robotic wolves can sense and map a battlefield environment, then autonomously plan routes and avoid obstacles.

They can work in extreme cold and scorching heat, and unlike conventional robots that face difficulties in very high altitudes, they can work without problems at an altitude of even 5,000 meters.

With a top speed of 15 kilometers per hour, the robots can operate individually or work as a team through real-time information sharing. They can carry a wide variety of weapons, including automatic rifles, micro missiles and grenade launchers, which allow them to carry out precision strikes against targets within a radius of hundreds of meters.

After the robots lock on to a target, they send information to human controllers and wait for firing permission, making the human handlers the final decision-makers.

The People's Liberation Army has been using an array of unmanned ground platforms, including remotely controlled vehicles and legged robots, for many years.

During a parade in September last year in Beijing, the PLA unveiled its newest generation of quadruped combat robots, which have now become part of street fighting exercises in the Chinese military.

Zeng, the project manager, said that his institute specializes in weapon systems automation, information and control technologies, and unmanned platforms and robotics, and such expertise is necessary in the research and development of robotic wolves. The company began research on quadruped combat robots in 2020 and made public the first robotic wolves at a domestic arms show in late 2022.

Wu Peixin, a defense industry observer, said that robotic wolves hold a clear edge in modern warfare, especially urban combat.

"They can fight in unstructured environments, offering groundbreaking capabilities across all terrains. They can replace soldiers to perform close-in reconnaissance and other high-risk frontline tasks, thus effectively reducing personnel casualties," he said.

"The robots require no rest and are unaffected by battlefield fear. They can coordinate with drones to form a three-dimensional reconnaissance and strike network, achieving all-around suppression of enemy forces."