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. 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.

Increased automation in the workforce has caused many to fear their jobs will soon be taken over by robots – and, experts now warn even the military will be affected by the shift. 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. Experts say the move has already begun in many ways, with newer warships like the USS Zumwalt designed to be manned by half the crew of previous destroyers, and Navy researchers experimenting with'ghost fleets' of underwater drones. Experts point to current technologies that already aim to reduce the number of human operators, such as the guided-missile destroyer Zumwalt. A White House report published in December warned millions of American may lose their jobs to AI. Less-skilled and less-educated workers will be affected the most.