Ultima Ratio : Drones, Robots and The Génie

Published on Ultima Ratio, April 2017.

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Written by Rémy HEMEZ 

Although the beginnings were difficult, robotics will definitely be increasingly used in the armies by 2035-2050. The basic characteristics for an operation could be preferably carried out by the robots especially those long or repetitive, dirty (including contaminated environments) and / or dangerous (such as explosives management).

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Working with the coalition in Afghanistan will persuade the French sappers to adopt robots in their turn. The Genie is at the forefront of the robotic revolution within the French armies. Especially since tele-operated equipment had been in service for several years already. 

The engagement in Afghanistan allowed the French engineering to acquire drones. The DROGEN system (DROne du Genie), the rotary wing and vertical take-off (VTOL) drum of the French company ECA Group was bought in the context of emergency operations in 2011. It has an IR and thermal detection capabilities. Deployed in the Sahel since June 2016, it gives very interesting results by allowing the detection of IED or mine traces, the recognition of zones before the installation of the force or of physical obstacles (crossing points, research Bypassing an impassable track, etc.). DROGEN  is also used in support of operational search missions by identifying, for example, access routes to an area.

The MINIROGEN (Robot of GENIE), robot terrestrial produced by the company ECA, is meanwhile acquired in operational emergency in 2012. One of his main jobs was to be able to check the nozzles (large rigid pipes used for the flow of water) in Afghanistan during the itinerary missions. It helps protect the operator from the threat during the phases of doubt lifting. Its low mass (about 6 kg) and its small dimensions make it suitable for use by engineer combat sections. These minirobots seem essential to the current operations. For example, IRIS (Individual Robotic Intelligence Systems), recently deployed in Iraq and Syria, must help to recognize the tunnels Daech dug, such as in Mosul and Raqqa. This tunnel warfare is not a new phenomenon, but our opponents know how to take advantage of it and robots can today be very useful for recognizing and mapping tunnels. Engineers have a role to play in this area, particularly through its Specialized Operations Excavation (FOS) sections as well as its light engineering reconnaissance detachments (DLRG) and combat sections.

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