Rheinmetall Mission Master SP Unmanned Ground Vehicle: American Rheinmetall Vehicles, in collaboration with Rheinmetall Canada, has successfully conducted a live-fire capability demonstration for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) at Fort Clinton, Ohio. The demonstration showcased the unique capabilities of the Rheinmetall Mission Master SP autonomous, unmanned ground vehicle (A-UGV) paired with the Fieldranger Remotely Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS).
This armed variant of the Rheinmetall Mission Master SP provides Marines with a variety of remote-operated capabilities, including armed reconnaissance, sentry overwatch, fire support, flank security, screening capability, and more. American Rheinmetall Vehicles continues to deliver groundbreaking advancements in A-UGV systems to the USMC, with several follow-on orders for A-UGVs proceeding in 2024.
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Rheinmetall Mission Master SP (A-UGV)
The Mission Master SPs, furnished by American Rheinmetall Vehicles, were extensively tested by the USMC during the Talisman Sabre Exercise (TS23) in Queensland, Australia, in summer 2023 and as part of the Apollo Shield exercise at Marine Corps Base, Twentynine Palms, California, in fall 2023. These exercises supported the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL) evaluations, testing equipment capabilities, and evaluating tactics, techniques, and procedures of Infantry squads equipped with A-UGVs.
Rheinmetall Mission Master Vehicle equipped with Escribano’s OTEOS tracking system.
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In December 2023, American Rheinmetall Vehicles received an order to manufacture and deliver six Mission Master SPs for delivery to III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) to support further training and evaluation. Four of the Mission Master SPs will support the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, who will be the first unit to conduct pre-deployment work-ups and deploy with the A-UGVs.
“Bringing the capabilities of the Mission Master SP A-UGV to today‘s Marines gives me great pride in knowing that lives will be saved and Marines will be better prepared for battle,“ said Mike Brooks, Gunner (CW05) USMC Ret., and Director of Business Development for American Rheinmetall Vehicles.
“MCWL’s experimentation with state-of-the-art autonomous systems exemplifies our commitment to harnessing innovative technologies that enhance our tactical capabilities, ensuring our Marines are better equipped, more agile, and always a step ahead on the battlefield,” stated Maj Steven Atkinson, Robotics & Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence Branch Head for the Science and Technology Division of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory.
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Mission Master Unmanned Vehicles.
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Rheinmetall PATH A-kit:
Each of Rheinmetall’s Mission Master SP A-UGVs uses the Rheinmetall PATH autonomy kit (A-kit), a navigation system developed by Rheinmetall Canada that enables fully autonomous movement and mission planning for vehicles. It can be rapidly added onto existing legacy vehicles or integrated into the latest next-generation platforms.
The German defence company said the kit was a core element of Rheinmetall’s exceptional Mission Master family of autonomous vehicles and combines advanced sensors, technology leading algorithms, and real-time data analysis to allow vehicle platforms to maneuver autonomously in a wide range of operating environments.
“Fielded and tested on this family of vehicles, but also a wide array of other platforms, the PATH A-kit is a mature, proven technology that stands out from the competition providing a high degree of autonomous mobility,” it added.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles is leveraging the PATH A-kit technology to supply program specific vehicle solutions for the U.S. Army’s Common Tactical Truck program and XM30 program.
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