WASHINGTON – Four companies have applied to build ground robots capable of transporting equipment ahead of a record program in which one of the four companies will be selected to produce the unmanned vehicle for the Army.
A team from Applied Research Associates and Polaris Defense, as well as General Dynamics Land Systems, HDT Expeditionary Systems and Howe & Howe, has been selected to build 20 platforms each that will be issued to two infantry brigade combat teams (IBCTs) to be tested and analyzed. For its utility in the field, according to Lt. Col. Corey Berg, unmanned ground vehicle product manager within the Executive Office Combat Support Program.
The Army selected the group from a group of companies selected to participate in a demonstration event Sept. 11 through Oct. 14 at Fort Benning, Georgia. The goal of the demonstration was to educate the Army about robotic logistics capabilities and for Soldiers to provide operational feedback.
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The participating companies, in addition to the four companies selected to move to the next stage, are American Robot Company, Lockheed Martin, AM General, Robotem NA, Inc., and QinetiQ North America.
While the proposals from the four companies have been selected, the Army has not yet awarded contracts because it relies on fresh start authority requested in the FY 2018 budget. Since the Army operates under a continuing resolution meaning it is funded under FY 2017 budget levels, it is unable To move forward until the spending bill in Congress for fiscal year 2018 is passed.
“The Army continues to implement comprehensive SMET efforts as part of an initial phase to accelerate capability development using warfighter input,” Berg said in a statement sent to Defense News, “with the goal of enhancing Soldier lethality and reducing the logistical burden on Soldiers.”
Once the Army is able to begin Phase 2 of the program, Berg said, it will issue SMET tests to two IBCT teams in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018 to evaluate the soldier for a year to guide future program decisions.
The Army plans to pursue a materiel development decision in the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, which will transition SMET to a standard formal program with the production contract awarded to one of four contractors in the third quarter of fiscal year 2019, according to Berg.
Jane Goodson is an award-winning journalist covering ground warfare for Defense News. She also worked at Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College.
