The US Army will begin equipping combat units next year with remote-controlled robotic vehicles designed to carry ammunition, water and other heavy combat necessities for soldiers, if officials at Fort Benning, Georgia, get their way.
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Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, New York, test out an unmanned vehicle prototype in March 2019. Screenshot
The Army has been experimenting with the concept of robotic mules for more than a decade. But the performance of four competing prototypes of a Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) during a recent operational test demonstration with units from the 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne divisions has made believers out of officials from Benning's Maneuver Capabilities and Integration Directorate (MCID).
"The operational test demonstration really showed that the capability is ready," Col. Tom Nelson, director for Robotics Requirements Division at MCID, told reporters Tuesday.
The SMET is capable of hauling 1,000 pounds of soldier gear for 60 miles within 72 hours, and will also generate three kilowatts of power to charge the growing number of tactical electronic devices soldiers carry, according to officials at MCID, the organization that has the lead for developing and testing robotics and autonomous systems designed for Army brigade combat teams (BCTs).