US and South Korean defense companies team up to develop light payload robot vehicle

Asia-Pacific, News, US March 5, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

The U.S. Defense giant Anduril Technologies and the U.S. business division of South Korea’s Hanwha Group have joined forces to bid for a U.S. Army contract, aiming to develop the upcoming iteration of the service branch’s Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport ground robots.

Acting as the primary contractor, Anduril intends to supply a customized, autonomy-ready Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (UGV) utilizing Hanwha’s established Arion-SMET platform.

Hanwha has expertise in developing weaponry and military equipment for the diverse environments in the Indo-Pacific. The two companies have their initial prototypes in the recent Foreign Comparative Testing with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in Hawaii, as stated in an announcement released on February 29, 2024.

In the initial phase of the UGV development program, the U.S. Army chose the American defense giant, General Dynamics Land Systems’ Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT) as the unmanned ground system for its Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET).

We are excited to partner with Hanwha Defense USA on the @USArmy’s S-MET Increment II program. By combining proven hardware with advanced software, we will bring speed, flexibility, and advanced capabilities to dismounted infantry operations.

Learn more: https://t.co/ei7xu2Hucr pic.twitter.com/oR6t499ex4
— Anduril Industries (@anduriltech) February 29, 2024

The $162.4 million contract was granted to General Dynamics in October 2019, and it is scheduled to conclude by the end of October 2024. General Dynamics also secured an additional contract in 2022 regarding the program.

Now the U.S. Army has opened another bid under the same program that aims to develop a light payload robot vehicle to carry gear and other lighter military equipment to decrease the burden off of the soldiers in the field.

Forterra, formerly RRAI, would also be working on the project along with Anduril and Hanwha as a sub-tier supplier, bringing autonomous capabilities to the system. Forterra’s AutoDrive would be utilized in the vehicle to “enable complex on and off-road maneuvers,” a statement read.

“By combining Anduril’s electronics and software, Hanwha Defense USA’s proven hardware, and Forterra’s proven off-road vehicle autonomy stack, the partnership will bring speed, flexibility, and advanced capabilities to dismounted infantry,” Zach Mears, head of strategy at Anduril, said in the statement as he announced his company’s intentions to go into the bidding for the project.

Hawnha Arion-SMET unmanned ground vehicles — *^{Hanwha’s Arion-SMET unmanned ground vehicles. (Image Credit: Hanwha Defense)}*

“With a simplified user interface powered by Lattice, users will be able to quickly and easily command and control the S-MET to support lethal effects at the tactical edge,” Mears added.

Anduril’s software, Lattice, was initially developed to counter drones and various threats but extends its utility to share battlefield information and data at a tactical level. In collaboration with Rheinmetall Vehicles, Anduril is participating in the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle competition, aiming to replace the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. In this endeavor, Anduril is incorporating its Lattice capability to enhance the competition effort with substantially successful results.

The robotic vehicle developed by Anduril and Hanwha will have a low acoustic signature, “ensuring that it serves as an asset, not liability on the modern battlefield,” the statement added. Other expected competitors for the bid are Teledyne FLIR, GDLS, and Rheinmetall, with teammates ST Engineering, and HDT.

The Army has not released much information about the competition, including the schedule for assessing and selecting winners, as well as the subsequent steps. Furthermore, there have been no public postings of solicitations regarding the contracts or bidding.