The Pentagon has awarded an $11 million contract to build a ‘combined-arms squad’ of human and robotic capabilities.

Under the new agreement, Six3 Advanced Systems will ‘design, develop, and validate’ prototypes of the new system, which is expected to be completed by mid-2019.

It comes as experts have increasingly warned that robotic weapons will soon play a much larger role in warfare than they already do, and could even overtake human presence on the battlefield in the next decade.

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The Pentagon has awarded an $11 million contract to build a ‘combined-arms squad’ of human and robotic capabilities. Under the new agreement, Six3 Advanced Systems will ‘design, develop, and validate’ prototypes of the new system. A stock image is pictured

The $10,539,652 contract from the US Department of Defense calls for Six3 to ‘design, develop, and validate system prototypes for a combined-arms squad.

Such a squad, it explains, 'combines humans and unmanned assets, ubiquitous communications and information, and advanced capabilities in all domains to maximize squad performance in increasingly complex operational environments.’

From unmanned trucks and aircraft, to ‘ghost fleets’ of underwater drones, the military has in many ways turned its sights on autonomous technology to improve capabilities.

And, a similar shift can be seen all around the world.

Russia, for example, has also been working on ways to integrate combat robots into battle, including armed sentry drones, according to RT.

Experts predict robots are the future of warfare – and it may come sooner than many expect.

‘Intelligent robotic weapons – they’re a reality, and they will be much more of a reality by 2030,’ said John Bassett, a former British intelligence officer, last year, RT reports.

‘At some point around 2025 or thereabouts, the US Army will actually have more combat robots than it will have human soldiers.’

US ARMY TESTING SELF-DRIVING MILITARY TRUCKS The US Army plans to test the trucks in automated mode along the Blue Water Bridge in Michigan. 'We also want the Army vehicles to drive themselves,' Paul Rogers, head of research for the Army, told CBS Detroit . 'You're crossing a steel girder bridge and you look for the different radar reflections, whether or not your system gets confused or not,' Mr Rogers said. The US Army is thought to be keen to make use of autonomous trucks to help free up its personnel for other roles while also allowing it to send unmanned vehicles into dangerous areas. Attacks on vehicles and convoys are a common cause of casualties in war zones while accidents also contribute to military fatalities. According to the Times Herald of Port Huron, the test on the Interstate 69 highway in Michigan will be the first time the army has taken its self-driving vehicles onto public roads. Advertisement

Earlier this year, experts explained that the use of robots could help the US military to cut costs and would allow them to remove soldiers from potentially dangerous environments, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

In many ways, they say the move has already begun, with newer warships like the USS Zumwalt designed to be manned by half the crew of previous destroyers.

Robots could take on a number of tasks, from managing and delivering supplies or analyzing thousands of legal documents, to quickly diagnosing diseases and assisting in the operating room, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Experts have increasingly warned that robotic weapons will soon play a much larger role in warfare than they already do, and could even overtake human presence on the battlefield in the next decade. Stock image

‘Just as in the civilian economy, automation will likely have a big impact on military organizations in logistics and manufacturing,’ Michael Horowitz, a University of Pennsylvania professor and an expert on weaponized robots told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

‘The US military is very likely to pursue forms of automation that reduce ‘back-office’ costs over time, as well as remove soldiers from non-combat deployments where they might face risk from adversaries on fluid battlefields, such as in transportation.’

Robots could also be used to detect and dismantle mines, while unmanned drone helicopters can pinpoint targets, map terrain, and detect bad weather.