Army Eyes Affordable Ground Robots
After two previous attempts to field Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCVs) ended in disappointment, the U.S. Army is taking another shot, this time with a strict budget in mind. A new notice to industry reveals the Army’s intention to cap the per-unit cost of these unmanned ground vehicles at $650,000.
Seeking Versatile and Affordable Prototypes
According to a recent request for information (RFI), the Army is seeking „Unmanned Ground Commercial Robotic Vehicles (UGCRV) prototypes” that meet emerging requirements. The ideal robot should be able to carry a payload exceeding 2,200 pounds while navigating both on and off-road terrain, keeping pace with soldiers within Armored Brigade Combat Teams.
Learning from Past Failures
This presolicitation, published by the National Advanced Mobility Consortium, follows decades of unsuccessful attempts to field unmanned ground vehicles, including the recent decision to halt a second RCV competition. The Army’s previous plan to award a contract to Textron Systems’s Ripsaw 3 was scrapped as part of a broader budget realignment effort.
Focus on Affordability and Collaboration
„We need robotic combat vehicles, but we want a consortium of vendors to bring their robotics and the best software folk,” an Army source explained. „We don’t want to downselect just to one vendor and pay almost $3 million per copy.” This new approach emphasizes affordability and collaboration with multiple vendors.
Key Requirements and Capabilities
The RFI outlines a comprehensive list of potential requirements for the ground robot fleet. These include:
- Basic Teleoperation and Autonomy: Soldiers should be able to control the robots remotely, but the robots should also have autonomy software for waypoint navigation, leader-follower capabilities, and sentry mode.
- Mobility and Endurance: The unmanned vehicles should be able to travel at least 34 miles per hour on-road and 25 mph off-road, with a range of at least 140 miles.
- Advanced Sensing: A 360-degree visual, thermal, and audio sensing capability is required.
- Versatile Payload: The minimum 2,200-pound payload capacity will allow the robots to be equipped with counter-unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities, beyond-line-of-sight kinetic effects, and both offensive and defensive electronic warfare systems.
Interested companies have until August 29 to respond to the RFI, potentially paving the way for a new generation of affordable and capable robotic combat vehicles.
