Army Tests Uncrewed M113 Armed With Laser-Guided Rocket Launcher
Outfitting surplus M113s with autonomous brains and weapons could be a cost-effective route to fielding robotic combat vehicles.
BY
DAN PARSONS
MAY 20, 2022 6:01 PM
Aheavily modified version of the venerable M113 armored personnel carrier showed up at the Army’s recent EDGE 22 technology demonstration at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah sporting a remote weapon station armed with a guided rocket launcher. The vehicle belongs to the Artificial Intelligence Integration Center (AI2C), the Army Futures Command office responsible for studying the use of AI to control battlefield systems.
A photo posted to Twitter by Ronkainen shows what is identified as a version of BAE Systems' Robotic Technology Demonstrator based on an M113 hull that has been cut down. The lower profile is evident because the engine hatch hinge is now above the topline of the vehicle.
The Army has long used M113s to support its Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program and other unmanned ground vehicle initiatives, but they are typically legacy manned armored personnel carriers (APCs) converted for use as unmanned systems. The appearance of a heavily modified uncrewed version of the vehicle in the Utah desert is a first.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/army-tests-uncrewed-m113-armed-with-laser-guided-rocket-launcher
