American Rheinmetall Vehicles and Rheinmetall Canada have demonstrated the autonomous, unmanned ground vehicle Rheinmetall Mission Master SP with the remote-controlled Fieldranger weapon station to the US Marine Corps (USMC). According to Rheinmetall, this vehicle offers a wide range of possible applications for the Marines, including armed reconnaissance, security and fire support.
After successful testing and evaluation, American Rheinmetall Vehicles is delivering additional A-UGV systems (autonomous unmanned ground systems) to the USMC. These have already been used during exercises such as Talisman Saber (TS23) and Apollo Shield and support the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL) in evaluating the tactics, techniques and procedures of infantry squads equipped with A-UGVs.
According to Rheinmetall, the tasks of the Mission Master SP during the exercises included the evacuation of injured people (CASEVAC), supply transport, fully autonomous road marches with a march performance of up to 50 kilometers and use in military operations in built-up terrain (MOUT). The feedback from the Marines and their commanders has led to adjustments to the design of the A-UGV, as Rheinmetall writes.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles was awarded the contract to produce six Mission Master SPs for the III. Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), four of which will be deployed to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment.
Rheinmetall Canada developed the Rheinmetall PATH Autonomy kit, which brings autonomous mobility to vehicles. The system combines advanced sensors, technology-leading algorithms and real-time data analysis to enable vehicle platforms to maneuver autonomously in a wide range of operational environments. It can be quickly integrated into existing or new vehicle platforms.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles uses this technology for vehicle solutions within the US Army's Common Tactical Truck program and XM30 program.
The 8×8 Mission Master SP (Silent Partner) is an electrically powered platform approximately one meter high with a footprint of 3 x 1.5 meters and an empty weight of 1.5 tons. With different mission modules, capabilities as stated above can be realized. The maximum speed is given as 40 km/h. In addition to the variable battery equipment, the range depends on the terrain and the application profile. With the PATH autonomy kit, the Mission Master can be used autonomously in different ways: e.g. with manual control or waypoint or route programming and obstacle detection. The authorization for the use of weapons always remains with the operator (man-in-the-loop).
Editorial staff / gwh
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