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The UK’s top military commander says robots could make up a quarter of the army within years.

General Sir Nick Carter suggested 30,000 ‘robot soldiers’ could play a key role in the British forces in the 2030s.

They could work alongside 90,000 real life troops, he added.

The Chief of the Defence Staff also urged ministers to proceed with a five-year integrated review for defence.

The review is expected to set out how the country’s forces are adapting.

Cyber weapons and autonomous vehicles and aircraft are expected to have greater emphasis in the review, along with lighter and more agile forces.

General Carter told Sky News: “I think you are going to see an armed forces that's designed for the 2030s.

"You won't get there overnight but that's the direction of travel.

"I mean I suspect we can have an army of 120,000 of which 30,000 might be robots, who knows.

"But the answer is we need to open our minds to perhaps numbers not determining what we should be doing but rather the effect that we can achieve, is really what we should be looking for.”

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The armed forces chief also warned World War Three could be sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

He said economic devastation and anxiety across the world is fuelling regional tensions, which could lead to conflict.

General Carter said: “I think the real risk we have with quite a lot of the regional conflicts that are going on at the moment, is you could see escalation lead to miscalculation.”

Asked if that meant there was a genuine threat of another world war, he replied: "I’m saying it’s a risk and we need to be conscious of those risks.”

• Military
• Robots

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