US army unveils bizarre weapon to stop invasion of wild animals on military bases

The US Army has unveiled its latest weapon in protecting its air bases - a pack of cyborg coyotes.

The unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) system will serve as a deterrent for problematic wildlifesuch as birds, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) said. It includes a large, plastic coyote mounted to a UGV base and it's hoped this will help scare off birdsand other problematic wildlife which could cause millions of pounds worth of damage, or threaten aircrew lives by flying into engines.

ERDC said: "It all comes down to scare tactics. Last year, ERDC began collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) in Ohio to further test the system’s efficacy at deterring wildlife through various research trials.

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"Successful demonstrations of the system were held at Naval Air Stations Whiting Field and Pensacola in Florida and Fort Campbell in Kentucky, clearing the path for the project’s future development."

The system is essentially aimed at helping biologists and managers at military airfields deter creatures from posing a risk to flight crews, aircraft and operations. Since the project’s launch, ERDC say they have continued to pursue opportunities to integrate technologies including onboard computing to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning, cameras and other sensors for navigation and surveillance.

They have also worked on a more robust system capable of manoeuvring through harsh terrain and environmental conditions. Shea Hammond, a research biologist focused on Robotic Characterization of Battlefield and Operational Environments for ERDC, believes the cyborg coyotes will be a success.

Speaking to Army Times, Hammond said: "They basically have the same functionality as any other drone. We can program areas we want to exclude it from going, such as the airfield itself. We had worked on docking stations and recharging stations so it can operate on a programmed timer, so it can have utility for multiple days.”

It's possible the coyotes will be trained to identify specific species of birds or wildlife in their zones of operation and employ different tactics or approaches for specific species. The vehicle can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour with follow-on testing expected to take place this summer.