A medium UGV market emerges as the US weighs up its options
An uncrewed High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle is being offered to meet US requirements. (Image: AM General)
The US is pursuing multiple UGV programmes, from commercial robotic platforms to new autonomy technologies. The combination of these efforts could prove key to turning ambition into operational capability.
The US path to the substantial fielding of larger uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) or robotic vehicles has encountered many bumps in the road, ranging from the failed Future Combat System programme and the amended Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle to the cancelled Robotic Combat Vehicle.
There has been some progress, notably with the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport Increment I (S-MET I) and the larger S-MET II platform for medium UGVs, as well as the substantial delivery of smaller UGVs. Beyond this, however, challenges have remained.
The promise of the resupply or “mule” UGV has been a recurring theme for around a decade, but delivery has
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