AUSA 2023 — The Army hasn’t yet officially announced a competition for the second increment of its small unmanned supply vehicle program, but that hasn’t stopped some industry players from gearing up for a race.
“I know that we’re working on finalizing requirements so we can move,” Doug Bush, the head of Army acquisition, told reporters today at the Association for the United States Army conference.
Several years ago, the Army picked General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to produce its robotic mule, dubbed the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S–MET). However, it is now planning an Increment 2 competition and a draft solicitation for a prototyping competition is expected to drop soon.
“The baseline program, so far, [is] going well. It’s a building block,” Doug Bush, the head of Army acquisition, said. But for the next iteration, “What else can you do with that chassis? Weapons? Sensors?”
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Steve Rash, who works on GDLS business development, told Breaking Defense today his company is awaiting the draft request and additional details about what the program includes before it decides whether to submit a bid and what design they might use.
“So, what would we do with [S-MET Inc. II]? We don’t know,” Rash said. “We don’t know if it’s continue with Increment I or something else because we don’t have the draft (request for prototyping proposal).”
Other companies attending the Association of the United States Army conference said this week that their plans are solidifying and they’re ready to compete.
For example, Hanwha Defense USA Chief Executive Officer John Kelly said the company is interested in unmanned ground vehicle contests and is preparing to announce a new partnership to compete for the S-MET Increment II.
Teledyne FLIR Defense was also in attendance this year showcasing the six-wheeled M2RV, which a spokesperson told Breaking Defense would be their entrant.
As industry awaits requirement details, Rash said S-MET Increment I deliveries are still ongoing and that by September or October 2024, 675 robots will have been delivered to the Army. That robot is designed to follow alongside soldiers for over 60 miles in 72 hours, while carrying up to 1,000 pounds of supplies and spare gear. It can also provide troops with external power for recharging hardware, like night vision goggles or radios.
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