Corporate media is finally catching up to our humanoid robot theme, with these bots moving beyond factory floors and possibly soon marching onto modern battlefields, as conflicts rage in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
TIME reports that Foundation Robotics, a U.S.-based startup developing humanoid robots for industrial and military applications, has recently sent two Phantom MK1 robots to Ukraine for testing.
A Foundation spokesperson said the startup is preparing its Phantom robots for potential deployment in combat scenarios for the Pentagon, which “continues to explore the development of militarized humanoid prototypes designed to operate alongside warfighters in complex, high-risk environments.”
Foundation co-founder Mike LeBlanc, a 14-year Marine Corps veteran with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, also told the outlet that the company is in “very close contact” with the Department of Homeland Security regarding possible patrol functions for Phantom along the U.S. southern border.
Foundation is already a military-approved vendor and holds government research contracts worth $24 million with the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. This suggests that these war bots are very close to being tested in war zones.
TIME reported that the MK1 robots will soon be training with the Marine Corps for the “methods of entry” operations. This advanced course teaches soldiers breaching techniques for buildings, structures, and ships, using several types of methods: explosive, ballistic, thermal, manual, and mechanical entry.
LeBlanc pointed out that the natural evolution of today’s autonomous systems is a leap from drones to ground bots to humanoid robots. He said humanoid soldiers do not crack under intense mental pressure and can be deployed as highly expendable assets.
In February, we outlined that humanoid robots would soon enter the modern battlefield, and it appears TIME has now confirmed it.
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- Watch: Russian Soldiers Surrender To Gun-Wielding Robot; Humanoid Warfare Nears
The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have demonstrated that modern warfare is becoming increasingly automated, with low-cost ground bots, FPVs, weaponized AI kill chains, and many other technologies now being deployed by foreign adversaries.
Sankaet Pathak, Foundation co-founder and CEO, told the outlet that a humanoid-soldier arms race is “already happening,” as Russia and China develop dual-use technology.
“Just like drones, machine guns, or any technology, you first have to get them into the hands of customers,” Pathak said.
With the world seemingly at war on two fronts, the development and deployment of next-generation war tech, such as humanoid robots, is likely to be thrown into hyperdrive. This is bullish for “war unicorns,” as the Department of War’s DOGE resets procurement program directs more funding toward defense startups.
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