31 March 2023

Robotic Combat Vehicle competition heats up with final requirements release

by Meredith Roaten

General Dynamics Land Systems displayed the Tracked Robot 10-ton (TRX) technology demonstrator at Global Force AUSA in March 2023. The robot carried a short-range air-defence (SHORAD) payload for the first time, according to the company. (General Dynamics Land Systems)

The US Army released a Request for Prototype Projects (RPP) for the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) programme on 29 March through the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC), which manages the service's prototyping effort.

Competitors have 45 days to respond to the US Army's final prototype request in this phase of the RCV programme, Pat Williams, Oshkosh Defense's chief programs officer told Janes during the Association of the United States Army's event in Huntsville, Alabama.

The army's product manager for the Robotic Combat Vehicle programme held an industry day on 23 March at Detroit Arsenal that was attended by some of the companies displaying their robotics technology at the show.

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) displayed a demonstrator for the Tracked Robot 10-ton (TRX) as an option for the RCV programme, according to the company.

The TRX display featured the short-range air-defence Moog Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP) turret, the fifth payload demonstrated on the platform in four years, Scott Taylor, business development director for the US Army and Special Operations Command, told Janes on 21 March.

When the TRX was first designed, it fit into the requirements for what the army identified as a medium-sized RCV, said Ray Moldovan, business development manager at GDLS. The most recent proposal does not include ‘light' in the name of the programme, but TRX meets the requirements and will be submitted for the solicitation, he said.

The US Army released a Request for Prototype Projects (RPP) for the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV)prog...

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