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The FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG) and its cooperation partner IAI – Israel Aerospace Industries/ELTA Systems Ltd. (IAI/ELTA) - took part together in the third part of the Bundeswehr's practical testing of unmanned ground vehicles with its Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) REX, as FFG announced today.

Die Teilnahme erfolgte im Rahmen der F&T-Studie „Unmanned Ground Vehicles zur Unterstützung abgesessener Kräfte“, auch unter dem Namen Cargo Mule bekannt. In dem Vorhaben testet die Bundeswehr unterschiedliche marktverfügbare Systeme in wechselnden Einsatzszenarien. Die in den vergangenen beiden Wochen absolvierten Feldversuche auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Jägerbrück in Torgelow stellen den dritten und letzten Teil der Versuchsreihe dar, nachdem in den Vorjahren bereits Erprobungen in Hammelburg und Lehnin erfolgt sind. Höhepunkt der Tests in Torgelow war die Teilnahme der UGVs an einem Gefechtsschießen.

The Bundeswehr wants to equip the heavy trains with unmanned ground vehicles for the transport of weapons and material and is testing several systems available on the market. Photo: FFG

The Bundeswehr intends to equip the heavy trains with unmanned ground vehicles for the transport of weapons and material and is testing several systems available on the market in changing operational scenarios. The study examines the extent to which UGVs currently available on the market can provide significant support services for the infantry. “The intention and goal of the company was also to gain information about the off-road mobility of the UGVs, to carry out distance tests and to find out how challenging it is to switch between teleoperated and autonomous use,” writes FFG in its press release.

The third cargo mule test run was also carried out by soldiers from the 6th company of the guard battalion, and was led by representatives of the Office for Army Development and the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr, with scientific support from the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information processing and ergonomics FKIE. On the industrial side, in addition to FFG/IAI, UGVs from Elbit Systems, Diehl Defense/Henschel and KMW/Milrem Robotics have once again undergone the Bundeswehr's demanding tests.

The REX can carry more than a ton of weight. Photo: FFG

FFG and IAI took part in the Bundeswehr testing in Torgelow for the first time. According to FFG, the hybrid/electric vehicle REX “proved itself to be a particularly versatile and robust UGV that was able to provide targeted relief and support to deployed soldiers when carrying out their missions and even increase their performance.”

The REX has a payload of more than one ton and enables dismounted forces to teleoperate or autonomously move their equipment and weapons into positions and to quickly rescue the wounded, writes FFG. According to the company, with the help of the REX and its sensors, the soldiers were able to observe the battlefield from a covered position in order to reconnaissance of enemy forces.

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