Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise
Last Update
17 Jul 2008
Out Front in Harm's Way
Congress established the Joint Robotics Program in 1989 to consolidate all DoD robotic programs under one umbrella in order to provide uniform direction, prevent duplication, and ensure that technology is shared among the services.
Today the JRP brings together men and women from each of the services, both Warfighters and civilian DoD personnel working with equally talented professionals from industry to build robotics systems that will serve and protect the men and women who defend our country.
The JRP lives up to its challenge "Out Front In Harm's Way". As warfare becomes increasingly deadly, robotic systems can be the "first over the top," "first to reach the hill," or the "first out of the tree line". The JRP's history is rich with success stories on how it has stepped out front to meet these challenges.
One challenge prevalent throughout the world today is Mine Warfare. Mines are a brutal and ugly side of warfare. There are millions of mines buried throughout the world today. The first US tank of the 27th Division to go into action was also the first tank of that division to be destroyed by a mine during World War I in October 1918. Over eighty years later, the first American soldier was killed in Kosovo when his HMMWV struck an anti-tank mine in December 1999.
The ingenuity of the enemy is only limited by his imagination and cannot be underestimated. It takes skill and courage to defuse dangerous situations like mines, booby traps, and roadblocks designed to delay and kill the enemy. Robotic systems are stepping forward to help.
During the Korean War, Army engineers used a rope to pull a booby-trapped tree off of the road in April 1951. During the Joint Contingency Force, Advanced Warfighting Experiment in September 2000, Army Engineers used a teleoperated T3 dozer to smash through a roadblock.
As you read through the history of the JRP, you will see the different systems that have been developed by the JRP and deployed by Warfighters to meet the challenges facing our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines. The capabilities and potential for Robotics continue to grow each day as technology matures and systems are deployed around the world to answer challenges from the Warfighters.
More importantly, one will see the continuing evolution of technology and the progress that has been made towards an autonomous system. The challenges facing the robotic community are real and difficult. The pace may seem slow and arduous, but the rewards and benefits to our men and women in uniform are great. The JRP will continue to push technology to its limits, provide contingency systems to meet today's needs, and go to the Warfighter to understand his needs and operational requirements.
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