Iraq unveils robot machine gun as it prepares Mosul offensive
Iraq's security forces have unveiled a robot machine gun and rocket launcher that could be used in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group in the city of Mosul.
The machine, tentatively named "al-Robot," was featured in an operations test video posted on Youtube on 19 August.
Al-Robot is equipped with an automatic turret based on the Russian DShK heavy machine gun, and what appears to be launch tubes for Katyusha rockets.
The weapons platform is not autonomous, however, a human operator sits up to a kilometre away and uses four cameras to guide the vehicle via a laptop interface.
According to the Defense One website, the robot could soon be in service in operations against IS in northern Iraq, where Iraqi forces are preparing to march on Mosul.
Iraqi forces suffer a large number of casualties from suicide bombings and booby trap bombs planted by IS militants as they retreat - removing humans from dangerous frontline missions could reduce such casualties.
According to the Baghdad Post newspaper, the robot was invented by "two brothers," although they were not named.
A prototype of the vehicle was first unveiled at the Baghdad Defence, Security and Aviation Fair Exhibition earlier this year.
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