The Army is working on plans in the next few years to bring in the unmanned Lockheed Martin [LMT] Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) vehicle as a program of record, a company official said.
The program’s champion is Ft. Benning, Ga., home of the infantry and the Maneuver Center of Excellence, said Frank St. John, vice president of Tactical Missiles and Combat Maneuver Systems at Lockheed Martin, during a Lockheed Martin media day briefing Tuesday.
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| SMSS Photo: Lockheed Martin |
The small truck, a six wheel all-terrain vehicle known as “Ox,” demonstrated “the flexibility and autonomy of the platform” during a five-month deployment with troops to Afghanistan, he said.
On the whole, “soldiers loved it,” St. John said. They could offload the heavy packs they carry, and has room for all kinds of gear.
One of the Army’s abiding interests is to reduce the amount of weight a soldier carries.
The vehicle is smart enough, has advanced recognition software, to follow a soldier as he moves.
Lockheed Martin continues to work with Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) examining potential capabilities for the system.
For example, in November at Camp Grayling, Mich., the SMSS demonstrated its ability to be remotely operated by satellite and the ability to conduct intelligence gathering using a sensor and then send data back. This could be useful for border security, St. John said.
Working with TARDEC, Lockheed Martin also is examining an IED sensor for IED discovery and defeat.
Again, with TARDEC, SMSS is participating in the Autonomous Mobility Applique System (AMAS) effort.
This stems from the safety issues arising in convoys, where an autonomous system could assist a driver with issues such as staying on the road and in the right proximity to other vehicles, St. John said.
A kit and sophisticated software are being adapted to eight different kinds of military vehicles that the company will develop and deliver for evaluation, he said. The kits could be used to autonomously drive vehicles, for example, while a soldier actually drives the lead vehicle in the convoy. The kit would have the technology to provide the intelligence necessary to keep the vehicles automatically following each other.
But there would be lots of ways to use the capability, St. John said.