Concerns have increased after China recently demonstrated a robot dog with a machine gun during a military exercise, now India is also very serious on the issue of robot dogs. The Indian Army may soon make the robotic dog Mule i.e. Multi Utility Legged Equipment (MULE) a part of the army.
These robotic dogs will be used for surveillance and light load carrying on mules. Also, these robot dogs can also be deployed on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. At the North Tech Symposium 2023 held in Jammu last year, there was a lot of discussion about robotic dogs specially designed for combat and surveillance operations for the Indian Army. Along with being able to walk on snow and mountains, the mule can also be useful in first contact where there is knowledge that an enemy is hiding here but the exact location is not known. In such a situation, this mule can get information about the exact location of the enemy with the help of its 360-degree camera and kill him using the firing platform.
An emergency purchase was made last year
According to military sources, the army had ordered 100 such robotic dogs for emergency purchase in September last year. Out of these, 25 robots have been handed over to the army. Their inspection has been completed. It is expected that they will be inducted into the army soon. According to sources, since this was an emergency purchase, contracts worth only up to Rs 300 crore could be given. If these robot dogs perform well, the army will soon issue a request for proposal for its large purchase.
Thermal cameras and sensors have been installed for monitoring
According to sources, these robot dogs are equipped with thermal cameras and other sensors for surveillance. Small weapons can also be installed in it. Apart from this, they can also be used to carry small and large items to the border guards. Earlier, India had demonstrated a robotics mule in a military exercise held in Pokhran, Rajasthan on March 12. While in May, the Agra-based Shatrujeet Brigade shared the beauty of one such robotic mule.