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Troopers bear a heavy burden whereas serving their homelands, which is why the US Army has awarded contracts this week to two companies for a recent generation of tools-hauling robots.
The Small Multipurpose Tools Transport Increment II (S-MET II) is region to be built by American Rheinmetall Autos and HDT Expeditionary Programs, the Army said. The pair were awarded a combined total of $22 million for eight prototype automobiles to be delivered at an unspecified future date.
The award for Increment II of the S-MET comes rapidly on the heels of the provision of the original model, built by General Dynamics Land Programs. Sixteen of the original S-MET were delivered to the Army in late 2022, and by early 2024, the call had already gone out for the recent one.
That original model of the eight-wheeled, radio-controlled automobile, the US Army said, had the ability to carry half a ton of tools and generate energy for portable digital tools, along with having capabilities for weapon machine mounting and casualty evacuation.
S-MET II will retain those capabilities, nonetheless the Army wants it to be quieter, have double the payload capacity, improved energy export capabilities “to enable modern mission payloads like unmanned air systems,” a extra modular manufacture, the ability to back as the hub for a wireless mesh network, and “worldwide grid charging” capabilities.
“S-MET Increment II addresses capability gaps associated with excessive physical burdens, recharging batteries during continuous operations, and reducing sustainment burden for semi-independent operations,” said Kyle Bruner, undertaking manager for the Army’s Pressure Projection program. It be no longer clear if S-MET II will have extra autonomy than the primary model, or if it’ll also be radio-controlled by an operator.
The first-generation S-MET from General Dynamics – click to enlarge
The original model of S-MET is based on an current General Dynamics automobile, the Multi-Utility Tactical Transport, or MUTT. Nevertheless, the Army didn’t specify in the announcement how the MUTT is different from the original S-MET, or why General Dynamics wasn’t selected to create the more moderen model.
Adios, ruck march
Looking out in your military occupation, or no longer it is no longer strange for a load of field tools to weigh in extra of 100 lbs (45 kg). Even though you happen to may presumably be younger and extremely fit, that’s calm a lot of weight, and or no longer it is extremely basic for soldiers to endure injuries due to carrying excessive weight over long distances in some of the least supportive footwear identified to humanity.
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Injuries aside, no person is functioning their simplest after walking ten miles carrying 100 lbs and wearing a Kevlar helmet – certain, it builds character, nonetheless in an actual combat situation, exhaustion can be the adaptation between lifestyles and death.
“The S-MET reduces Soldier load and enhances small unit combat effectiveness by reducing fatigue and injury caused by excessive physical loads, shifting the burden to the robotic platform,” Bruner said of the so-called robotic mule. “S-MET supports the Army’s mission to implement robotic and autonomous system capabilities with urgency to lessen risk to Soldiers in multi-domain operations.”
If the S-MET II is a hit, the Army said it intends to acquire as many as 2,195 programs by late fiscal 2027. The original model was being concept about for infantry brigade combat teams, explosive ordnance disposal, and security pressure assistance brigades. It be no longer immediately clear if the S-MET II will be deployed to additional unit forms.
We have reached out to the US Army, Rheinmetall, and HDT with questions, nonetheless haven’t heard back. ®
