American Rheinmetall has secured a contract to deliver new autonomous ground vehicle technologies for the US Army under Project Sustainment.
The 18-month agreement, awarded via the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC), tasks the firm and its partners with developing hybrid-powered, uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) designed to bolster tactical sustainment missions.
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The project calls for UGVs that can autonomously transport supplies and materiel to and from the front lines, reducing exposure to danger for soldiers and supporting the Army’s broader modernisation agenda.
According to the company, the vehicles will feature enhanced autonomy and hybrid power integration, and are intended to support logistical operations for company-sized units.
Key priorities for Project Sustainment include the integration of commercial technologies, advanced autonomy, and improved human-machine interfaces.
Among the features being developed is voice control, which is aimed at enabling soldiers to interact with the robotic systems using natural language commands.
American Rheinmetall is partnering with firms including Harbinger, Forterra, and Primordial Labs on the programme.
Harbinger is contributing commercial vehicle and technology expertise to support rapid development and production. Forterra is providing autonomy solutions to facilitate distributed, low-intervention operation in challenging environments.
Primordial Labs is supplying its Anura human-machine interface, which uses natural language processing to translate commanders’ intent and streamline vehicle control, the company said.
Work on the contract will take place at various locations and test ranges in the United States, according to the announcement.
The contract allows for the possibility of future orders as the Army continues to evolve its autonomous logistics fleet.
American Rheinmetall Sales & Marketing VP Jim Schirmer said: “This award expands American Rheinmetall’s growing portfolio of uncrewed ground systems within the US market and reinforces our position as a leader in ground robotics and autonomous technologies.
“Project Sustainment directly supports the Army’s modernisation priorities by delivering autonomous load‑handling and transport capabilities that increase readiness and reduce the burden on Soldiers.”
In May this year, American Rheinmetall partnered with Harbinger to develop and field a family of robotic and UGVs to support US Department of War’s (DoW) modernisation priorities.
