REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — Mission success.
Another pivotal stride was made by the Autonomous Multi-domain Launcher as the combined team of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center and the Ground Vehicle Systems Center conducted a successful live fire of a Reduced Range Practice Rocket fired from the AML at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
“The team has worked diligently over the past four years to achieve this milestone of a long-range missile launch from a fully robotic platform,” said Lucas Hunter, AML project manager for DEVCOM AvMC.
AML is an initiative to develop and demonstrate an autonomous, unmanned, highly mobile, C-130 transportable launcher. The prototype launcher will be capable of convoy operations, autonomous way point navigation, tele-operation and remote launcher turret and fire control operation. It will also launch longer munitions while remaining compatible with the current munitions.
One of the primary goals of AML is providing fires forces with additional launcher platforms to mass fire with minimal impact on force structure manning. AML will also give the Army a three-times increase in fire power and magazine depth.
During its time at YPG, the AML launched three RRPRs in a successive ripple fire mission. In all, six RRPRs were successfully fired from the AML in a demonstration of the launcher’s ability to maneuver under supervised autonomy from a hide location to a firing point, turn to an assigned heading and execute fire control commands from a remote gunner position.
Over the past week leading up to the initial live fire, the AML successfully demonstrated each of its mobility modes: tele-op, waypoint navigation and convoy operations.
Soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard 1-181st Field Artillery Regiment were also on hand to train on and operate the AML.
The team was pleased with the outcome, Hunter said, noting that the AML program proves the level of expertise contained within the DEVCOM formation and its ability to combine efforts across centers to address the needs of the Army’s Warfighters.
“The AML team leveraged three major Army S&T investments, the Palletized Field Artillery Launcher, Autonomous Transport Vehicle System and Secure Tactical Advanced Mobile Power to rapidly and economically develop the AML prototype,” Hunter said.
AML’s success at YPG paves the road to its next test at Valiant Shield 24, a bi-annual, joint service field-training exercise to be held in summer 2024.
By Katie Davis Skelley, DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center Public Affairs