What if autonomous vehicles were commonplace? What would be the biggest effect on the military?

Capt Richard I P. — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 22:05:11 -0400

The economic implications are astounding, an asset idle 90% of the time could go to being used 90% of the time. A dull, attention demanding task could be eliminated, along with all the costs to business from it. Less pollution, less waste, less collision and accident cost, less infrastructure maintenance, less traffic less delays.

But what about the effects on the military?

http://worldif.economist.com/article/11/what-if-autonomous-vehicles-rule-the-world-from-horseless-to-driverless

Thoughts from some RP people?
CPT Zachary Brooks, CPT Private RallyPoint Member, SFC Mark Merino, CW5 Private RallyPoint Member, 1LT(P) L S, GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad, SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4", TSgt Hunter Logan, LTC Stephen C., TSgt Joshua Copeland, LTC Private RallyPoint Member, LTC Paul Labrador, PV2 Private RallyPoint Member, CW3 Private RallyPoint Member, CPT Aaron Kletzing, LTC Yinon Weiss.

From horseless to driverless

If autonomous vehicles rule the world

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 31 at 2015 10:35 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 22:35:56 -0400

This is a good place to start. You would remove lives from convoy duty. Better tracking on locations and assets. For combat I see it almost turning the robot solders and tanks in to a video game style experience. Kind of like with combat drones now. I would not count 3 simply because of the fact that I doubt the military will replace our POV's with MOV.

Autonomous vehicles to join the US Army

Over the next quarter of a century, the Pentagon sees robots becoming more and more a part of military life. The US Army sees the first robots as autonomous vehicles used in the more prosaic task of delivering groceries and other supplies.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Jul 31 at 2015 10:37 PM

LTC John Shaw — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 22:37:45 -0400

Capt Richard I P. Huge impact to 88M force, you can reduce Trans units significantly and they can handle all but the local route and docks. Likely increased efficiency as you don't need as many to ensure you have all the trucks/vehicles on the road.
Logistics units can be reduced so that you have more tooth to tail during development.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Aug 1 at 2015 5:54 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 17:54:17 -0400

Capt Richard I P., I like number two, at least initially for the military. On a tangential note, the article states, "some concept designs, liberated from the need to have steering wheels and pedals, have seats facing each other around a table." What's interesting about this concept is that I remember reading an issue of Popular Science magazine in the mid-sixties that had a depiction of just such a car! As I remember, the illustration showed a convertible with a square table and wrap around seating.