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By Chris Matthews
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Robot dogs carrying firearms have appeared alongside Salvadoran soldiers in Haiti, in footage released by President Nayib Bukele during his military offensive against armed gangs.
The mechanical dogs, with weapons mounted on their backs, appear in a video Bukele published on Thursday showing an operation at a stadium in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
One robot appears alongside a soldier carrying what looks like a mounted machine gun, while another sequence shows a four-legged machine moving through a narrow passageway.
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The footage offers a glimpse of how robotic weapons could be used alongside conventional troops, although it does not show the machines firing or establish whether they were involved in combat.
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The video was released by Bukele himself, whose government has used carefully produced military footage to publicize its campaign against Haiti's gangs.
What Are the Armed Robot Dogs?
The machines are four-legged robots designed to move through environments that may be difficult or dangerous for soldiers.
Their mechanical legs allow them to negotiate obstacles, stairs and uneven surfaces, while cameras and sensors can provide operators with live footage of their surroundings.
Some models can carry remotely operated firearms, allowing troops to examine dangerous areas or potentially engage targets without standing directly beside the machine.
El Salvador unveiled a Robotic Canine Unit during its Independence Day celebrations in September, initially presenting the machines as equipment capable of detecting and analyzing illicit substances.
The latest footage shows the technology accompanying troops during an operation, although officials have not disclosed the manufacturer, weapon specifications or how the robots are controlled.
It is also unclear whether the weapons require a human operator to fire them.
Have Armed Robot Dogs Been Used Before?
El Salvador is not the first country to experiment with armed robotic dogs.
In 2021, American companies Ghost Robotics and SWORD International unveiled a four-legged robot fitted with a 6.5mm rifle.
The system, known as the Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle, was designed to allow an operator to control the weapon remotely.
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In 2024, the U.S. Marine Corps' special operations command was reported to be testing robotic dogs fitted with remotely operated weapons.
China has also demonstrated armed versions during military exercises.
Footage released by Chinese state television in May 2024 showed a robot dog carrying an automatic rifle during joint drills with Cambodia.
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The machine was shown moving alongside soldiers and firing at a target during a training exercise.
But demonstrations do not necessarily establish how effectively the machines would perform in a real firefight.
Bukele's footage is notable because it shows an armed robot accompanying troops during a reported security operation rather than a controlled military demonstration.
There is, however, no independently verified evidence that the robot fired its weapon or engaged gang members.
Robot Dogs Are Already Being Used by U.S. Police
Robotic dogs are also increasingly being used in American law enforcement, although the machines deployed by police and private security companies are generally unarmed.
In October, Newsweek reported exclusively that footage from a robot dog had helped detectives identify and arrest two suspects in a double murder investigation in Georgia.
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The shooting, which took place in July in DeKalb County, killed a 13-year-old boy and a 45-year-old man. A dog was also killed.
Police told Newsweek that footage captured by a robot operated by Atlanta-based security company Undaunted had helped investigators identify one of the suspects.
Sergeant Elise Wells, a spokesperson for the DeKalb County Police Department, said: "The video was one piece of evidence detectives used to identify and arrest the suspects."
Undaunted said it had deployed more than 100 robotic security devices across metro Atlanta.
The machines, known as "Oppys," are operated remotely by human workers, many based in the Philippines, who monitor camera feeds and communicate with people through speakers fitted to the robots.
Unlike the armed machines displayed by El Salvador, Undaunted's robots do not carry weapons.
Their use has nevertheless raised concerns about surveillance.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation warned Newsweek that such devices could enable remote monitoring of residential communities and potentially extend police surveillance into places where people live.
Why Is El Salvador Using Robot Dogs in Haiti?
The footage was released following an operation at Sylvio Cator stadium in Port-au-Prince, which Bukele said Salvadoran and Haitian forces had secured from armed gangs.
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The president said the stadium would become a base for further operations into gang-controlled areas.
His intervention expanded after four Salvadoran aviation technicians disappeared following an ambush on October 18.
Bukele subsequently sent approximately 2,500 troops to Haiti, alongside armored vehicles and other military equipment.
His government has published videos showing soldiers, helicopters and military vehicles taking part in the offensive.
The latest footage places armed robotic dogs among the equipment being displayed during those operations.
But the videos offer only selected views of events, and the Salvadoran government has not provided a detailed account of the robots' role.
For now, the footage shows armed robotic dogs accompanying troops during a security operation, but not whether they have been used to fire on targets.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Henry Holloway, Gray R. Thomas
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