Army Receives QinetiQ-Built Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle

QinetiQ and subcontractor Pratt Miller Defense have shipped a new hybrid-electric unmanned ground combat vehicle to the U.S. Army for use in a 2022 manned-unmanned teaming experiment.

The Robotic Combat Vehicle – Light UGCV uses technology from both companies to perform with flexibility and no payload restrictions, QinetiQ said Wednesday.

The vehicle features QinetiQ's modular open system architecture for robotic control and is based on Pratt Miller's expeditionary modular autonomous vehicle.

Delivered Nov. 5, the first RCV-L is one of the four units that Army Combat Capabilities Development Command expects to receive from the partnership. The delivery follows an eight-month period of preparation.

“We look forward to getting this prototype into the hands of our Soldiers and getting their feedback on how we can best utilize Robotic Combat Vehicles in defense of our great nation,” said Brig. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Army's cross-functional team for next-generation combat vehicles.

A week before the delivery, the companies provided a demonstration of the RCV-L system and informed Army officials of the progress of the follow-on vehicles.

The National Advanced Mobility Consortium awarded QinetiQ the contract for RCV-L in March.