'Robot soldiers' bound for Iraq

Soldering on: A private firm helped the military make the robo-soldier

The US military is planning to deploy robots armed with machine-guns to wage war against insurgents in Iraq.

Eighteen of the 1m-high robots, equipped with cameras and operated by remote control, are going to Iraq this spring.

The machine is based on a robot already used by the military to disable bombs.

Officials say the robot warrior is fast, accurate and will track and attack the enemy with relatively little risk to the lives of US soldiers.

Unlike its human counterparts, the armed robot does not require food, clothing, training, motivation or a pension.

When not needed in war, it can be mothballed in a warehouse.

However, the robot will rely on its human operator, remotely studying footage from its cameras, for the order to open fire.

According to Bob Quinn, a manager with Foster-Miller, the US-based company which worked with the military to develop the robot, the only difference for a soldier is that "his weapon is not at his shoulder, it's up to half a mile away".

The robot fighter has been christened Swords, after the acronym for Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems.

It is based on the Talon robot, which is widely used by the military to disarm bombs.

A US officer who helped test the robot said it was a more accurate shot than the average soldier because it is mounted on a stable platform and takes aim electronically.

美军计划将配备了机关枪的机器人战士投入到打击伊拉克反抗势力的战斗中去。

今年春季，18名身高1米，装备了摄像机，通过遥控操作的机器人战士将奔赴伊拉克。

这种机器人战士的雏形是美军现已使用的拆弹机器人。

官员们称，这种机器人战士能够快速准确地追踪打击敌人，而操纵它们的美军士兵的生命危险相对较小。

和它们的人类战友不同的是，这些机器人战士不需要吃饭、穿衣、训练、作战动机和退休金。

一旦战争不再需要它们，它们可以被封存在仓库里。

然而，这种机器人战士要依赖它的操纵者，它们身上的摄像装置可将周围图像传输给远端的操纵者，操纵者则根据看到的图片下令射击。

福斯特·米勒公司的经理鲍勃·奎因说，对于士兵来说，唯一不同的只是“他的武器不是扛在肩上而是在半英里以外”。这家美国公司与军方联合研制这种机器人战士。

这种机器人战士被命名为“战剑”，它的全名是“特种武器观测侦察探测系统”。

它是机器人“塔隆”的升级版，“塔隆”已被军方广泛用于炸弹拆除。

协助测试该机器人的一位美国官员说，它和普通士兵相比，还是神枪手，因为它们被安装在固定平台上而且是电子瞄准。

mothball: to remove from active service or use and put into protective storage（封存，保藏）

christen : to name（命名）