US Army selects finalists for SMET combat ground drone competition

The US Army has announced the selection of two finalists for the development of a ground drone under the SMET (Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport) Increment II programme. These will be German Rheinmetall and American HDT Expeditionary Systems.

Here's What We Know

Both companies are to create a robotic platform capable of carrying 907 kg. In total, it is planned to produce 8 prototypes, and the finalists received $22 million each, which partially compensates for development costs.

Final tests are scheduled for the end of 2027. The main award will be a contract for the serial production of drones with an initial requirement of 2,195 units.

Rheinmetall and HDT beat out proposals from General Dynamics Land Systems, Teledyne FLIR, and the US-based Anduril, which collaborated with Korea's Hanwha. This happened despite the fact that General Dynamics Land Systems won a previous tender in 2019 for the supply of a lighter MUTT platform in the amount of 624 units.

The requirements for SMET Increment II are still quite vague, with the exception of the payload requirement. As reported by Defence Express, the new ground drone should have high power output, operate quietly, have a secure cellular network, and be modular and built on an open architecture for easy upgrades and cost savings.

Such drones should take on the role of transporting ammunition, ammunition, and heavy weapons to reduce the burden on the military.

Source: Defence Express