Aussies visit French robot testers

Australian Army personnel strengthened ties with the French Army during a visit to the Robotic Experimentation Platoon at the Centre d’Entraînement aux Actions en Zone Urbaine, in Sissone, France.

CAPTION: Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hepworth (left) and Colonel Robin Smith (second from right) meet with French Army Lieutenant Colonel Matthias Leroy, supported by the Australian Army Liaison Officer to the French Army, Lieutenant Colonel Dean Kachab (right). Story by Emma Kennedy. Photo by Eloïse Marreau.

The French Army’s Robotic Experimentation Platoon experiments with uncrewed aerial vehicles and ground vehicle assets in tactical situations.

The platoon supports the French Army to evaluate and integrate new concepts and technologies.

CAPTION: Australian Army officer Colonel Robin Smith receives technology briefings from officers and soldiers of the Robotic Experimentation Platoon at CENZUB in Sissonne, France.

Director of Army’s Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation and Coordination Office Colonel Robin Smith, artificial intelligence specialist Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hepworth and Commanding Officer of 94th Infantry Regiment, French Army, Lieutenant Colonel Matthias Leroy emphasised the value of sharing knowledge and strong partnerships among like-minded nations during the visit.

“Gaining and maintaining an asymmetric advantage to deliver mass and scalable effects requires Army to not only explore emerging technology, but to inform and co-design tactics and techniques to meet our operational needs,” Lieutenant Colonel Hepworth said.

“The live-force experimentation model demonstrated by the French Army supports this vision.”

Lieutenant Colonel Leroy said the visit allowed deepened exchanges between the two nations on the reality of the integration of automated systems in a tactical framework.

“The continued collaboration between the Australian and French Army leverages the knowledge, skills and potential of our people and allies to accelerate our innovation,” Lieutenant Colonel Leroy said.

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