11 May 2023

Argentina designs multi-purpose UGV

by Victor Barreira

The Mula UGV by American Robotics from Argentina was designed to deploy several types of payloads. (Victor Barreira)

Argentinean unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) company American Robotics designed a multi-purpose, modular, tracked UGV capable of being equipped with several payloads, company's CEO Javier Sebastián Mirich told Janes.

The UGV – designated the Mula (Mule in English) – is being developed alongside the Research and Development General Directorate of the Argentine Army (DGID), Sebastián Mirich said. A prototype is scheduled to be built in late 2023, he added.

The Mula UGV was designed to conduct a wide range of combat and non-combat missions, including logistics, search and rescue (SAR), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), forward communications node, and reconnaissance.

It can carry several payloads, including a remote weapon station (RWS) armed with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, stretchers, a manipulator arm, radio relay equipment, firefighting devices, and water and fuel tanks, among other items to support troops on the battlefield.

Standard equipment includes a towing winch capable of towing cargo trailers with a 6000 kg payload, ultra-high frequency (UHF) communication system for command-and-control operation using the handheld ruggedised terminal with a joystick, a light detection and ranging radar (LIDAR), and cameras.

It can be powered by hybrid or electric propulsion modules that provide a maximum autonomy of 15 h and 1 h, respectively.

The UGV weighing 1300 kg measures 3 m in length, 2.6 m in width, and 1.4 m in height for a top speed of 35 km/h.

Argentinean unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) company American Robotics designed a multi-purpose, modula...

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