Army Revs Up High-Tech Tank Engine

Army Revs Up High-Tech Tank Engine
Army Revs Up High-Tech Tank Engine

The 1,000-horsepower Advanced Powertrain Demonstrator could upgrade the M2 Bradley or drive new kinds of manned and robotic vehicles.

EXCLUSIVE The Army’s Got A Universal Robot Driver

EXCLUSIVE The Army’s Got A Universal Robot Driver
EXCLUSIVE The Army’s Got A Universal Robot Driver

The US Army is field-testing a robot brain so versatile it can drive both tanks and trucks — even British Army lorries with the steering wheel on the wrong side.

Next-Generation Power for the Next-Generation Combat Vehicles

Next-Generation Power for the Next-Generation Combat Vehicles
Next-Generation Power for the Next-Generation Combat Vehicles

The Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) program has ambitious goals that will require development of new technological capability that ranges from autonomous operations to advanced materials.

Army Picks BAE Jammer To Kill Russian Missiles (Softly)

Army Picks BAE Jammer To Kill Russian Missiles (Softly)
Army Picks BAE Jammer To Kill Russian Missiles (Softly)

If RAVEN succeeds in the next, more challenging round of tests, the BAE jammer will ultimately go on the 1980s-vintage M2 Bradley. That’s a big part of the Army’s urgent push to protect American armored vehicles against Russian-made anti-tank missiles in widespread use around the world.

Army R&D Chief: ‘I Don’t Think We Went Far Enough’ – But Futures Command Can

Army R&D Chief: ‘I Don’t Think We Went Far Enough’ – But Futures Command Can
Army R&D Chief: ‘I Don’t Think We Went Far Enough’ – But Futures Command Can

For Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, when the organization he’s led for 31 months changed its name, its mission, and the four-star headquarters it works for, it finally found the answer to a question it – and the entire Army – have been struggling with for at least 16 years.

Forget The Terminator: Robotics For Logistics 1st, Combat 2nd

Don’t think about the Terminator or Iron Man: Think about Sigourney Weaver’s power loader lifting crates in Aliens.

US Army Pursues Israeli Robots

US Army Pursues Israeli Robots
US Army Pursues Israeli Robots

TARDEC, soon to be part of the new Army Futures Command, is exploring a wide range of Israeli robots. But IAI is already looking into the next generation: “flocks” or swarms of robotic systems that communicate with each other and collaborate to accomplish their mission.

From Google Cars To Robot Tanks: Army RCV

From Google Cars To Robot Tanks: Army RCV
From Google Cars To Robot Tanks: Army RCV

The Google Car and Tesla Autopilot have blazed a trail for the future Army. Both robotics technology and Army thinking have come a long way since 2009, when Defense Secretary Bob Gates cancelled the massive Future Combat Systems program. Where FCS tried to invent new technology on a schedule for 19 different manned and unmanned…

Vietnam-Vintage Vehicles Blaze Trail For Robot Tanks: Army RCV

Vietnam-Vintage Vehicles Blaze Trail For Robot Tanks: Army RCV
Vietnam-Vintage Vehicles Blaze Trail For Robot Tanks: Army RCV

The actual Robotic Combat Vehicle that gets mass-produced and fielded by 2028 will be an all-new design, not a converted M113. But why wait for someone to design and build the perfect hardware, when you can start testing the software and the tactics on something cheaply available today?

Army Secretary Rides Robot Truck: ‘Critical’ Tech For Big Six

Army Secretary Rides Robot Truck: ‘Critical’ Tech For Big Six
Army Secretary Rides Robot Truck: ‘Critical’ Tech For Big Six

“If you look back at the Iraq war, one of the most dangerous duties was driving, riding in a convoy between Kuwait City and Baghdad. We lost many, many soldiers, too many soldiers, to IED (roadside bomb) attacks, other attacks on convoys,” Esper said. “I could’ve reduced that vulnerability, that sacrifice, (with) unmanned convoys or convoys that were manned by (only) a couple of soldiers.”

US, UK Test Robot Breachers, Drones In Germany

US, UK Test Robot Breachers, Drones In Germany
US, UK Test Robot Breachers, Drones In Germany

This week’s experiment used a small zoo of specialized systems remote-controlled by humans, each with its own modest niche, working closely with each other and human forces.

Army Modernization Reform Requires New Laws: General

Army Modernization Reform Requires New Laws: General
Army Modernization Reform Requires New Laws: General

WASHINGTON: The Army will ask Congress to change current law to help it buy weapons better, Maj. Gen. Bill Hix told reporters. Sure, the service can do and is doing a lot with its existing authorities, he said, such as create a Futures and Modernization Command (FMC), but comprehensive reform requires more. In fact, Lt.…

Tank 2022: Demos & Decisions For Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle

Tank 2022: Demos & Decisions For Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle
Tank 2022: Demos & Decisions For Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle

HUNTSVILLE, ALA.: The year of decision for the Army’s nascent Next Generation Combat Vehicle will be 2022. That’s when “at least two” NGCV demonstrators get field-tested by real troops, officials told the Association of the US Army conference here today. What the soldiers learn will then help Army leaders’ decide whether to fund a full-up program to…

How Robot Trucks Will Work: Army Roboticist

How Robot Trucks Will Work: Army Roboticist
How Robot Trucks Will Work: Army Roboticist

AUSA: Google does it. Tesla does it. So why isn’t the Army deploying self-driving cars and trucks throughout the world to save lives and move gear without weighing down soldiers? The Army’s chief roboticist, Bob Sadowski, talked with me about what makes it so challenging for the military to design autonomous trucks that can crawl their…