Rheinmetall demonstrates new UGV to British Army at AWE

Pictured is Rheinmetall's Mission Master XT − Rescue UGV during a live trial at AWE 2022. (Janes/Olivia Savage)

Rheinmetall has demonstrated its new Mission Master unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) module at the British Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE) Urban: Sustain and Protect (S&P) programme at Portsmouth Naval Base.

The UGV, known as the Mission Master XT − Rescue, was demonstrated in a live scenario for the first time at AWE on 22 November.

This module is designed for medical evacuation (medevac), meeting the AWE S&P hypothesis, which seeks a solution to enable medical specialists to autonomously identify and treat or extract casualties.

Basic medical equipment was fitted inside the module, including a moveable stretcher, oxygen masks and canisters, and a hot/cold box.

A Rheinmetall spokesperson told Janes at AWE that the system weighs three tonne in total and is capable of speeds of up to 40 km/h. It was developed in collaboration with the University of Sherbrooke, Canada, the spokesperson added.

The UGV can be controlled remotely using a tablet over a military network or via satellite communications (satcom), and is capable of navigating autonomously based on preordained routes or in follow-me mode, the spokesperson said. A single tablet can control a fleet of systems, the spokesperson added.

It is based on Rheinmetall's Mission Master CXT UGV, which is suited for extreme-terrain mobility, hybrid propulsion, and advanced amphibious capabilities, capable of transporting up to 1,000 kg. Combining a diesel engine and an electric motor, the vehicle has a total range of 450 km without refuelling (including 50 km on batteries), the company said.