Naomi Cooper
Anduril Technologies has teamed up with the U.S. business arm of South Korea’s Hanwha Group to compete for a U.S. Army contract to build the next version of the service branch’s Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport ground robots.
Under the partnership, Anduril will serve as the prime contractor to deliver a modified uncrewed ground vehicle based on Hanwha Defense’s Arion-SMET, a robotic and autonomous multipurpose UGV, Anduril said Thursday.
The offering will use the AutoDrive vehicle autonomy platform from Forterra, formerly RRAI, to carry out complex on and off-road maneuvers.
The team’s UGV will feature a modular design to enable future integration of payloads designed to support warfighters in complex environments.
“By combining Anduril’s electronics and software, Hanwha Defense USA’s proven hardware, and Forterra’s proven off-road vehicle autonomy stack, the partnership will bring speed, flexibility, and advanced capabilities to dismounted infantry,” said Zach Mears, head of strategy at Anduril.
John Kelly, president and CEO of Hanwha Defense, said the S-MET Increment II program represents a “natural evolution” for the company’s Arion-SMET vehicle.
