American Rheinmetall Vehicles, Sterling Heights, MI, has won one of two contracts awarded in the U.S. Army’s Small Multi-Purpose Equipment Transport vehicle (S-MET) program. American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) will provide the Army with a versatile and resilient platform capable of efficiently transporting supplies and equipment over rugged terrain to support combat operations. American Rheinmetall Vehicles collaborated with lead partner Textron Systems on the proposal.

American Rheinmetall Vehicles will manufacture and deliver eight proto¬types to the Army in 2025 for testing, evaluation, and to compete against the platform delivered by the second awardee before the Army downselects to a single platform and the program transitions to full scale production.

Rheinmetall has substantial expertise in developing unmanned ground vehicles, exemplified in its Mission Master family of vehicles, which encompass a range of modular, autonomous platforms designed for diverse missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, cUAS, and logistical support. American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ S-MET solution leverages the ground-breaking advancements in unmanned technology found in the Mission Master vehicles to deliver a UGV tailored to meet the unique requirements of the Army’s S-MET program. The platform also uses many mature commercial components already found in the Army’s inventory or the commercial ATV space which drives affordability and reliability, and addresses electromagnetic concerns through its unique composite structure and use of materials.

“American Rheinmetall Vehicles is honored with the Army’s selection and excited to deliver our S-MET platform which is particularly attractive due to its technological excellence, affordability, and reliability,” said Jim Schirmer, Senior Vice President and Deputy Managing Director of American Rheinmetall Vehicles.

Textron Systems brings to the team more than three decades of experience designing, manufacturing, fielding, and supporting unmanned platforms across air, land and sea domains.

Textron Systems and its subsidiary, Howe & Howe, contribute extensive knowledge of robotics and systems integration to the S-MET Inc II program, having developed the mature, multi-mission capable RIPSAW® M5 and M3 ground robotics platforms for the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) programs. Leveraging the control architecture developed for Textron Systems’ RCV solutions, the team’s S-MET vehicle provides a commonality that enables operators to utilize a common interface for both the RCV and S-MET programs. This approach reduces the overall training burden and maximizes investments made.

About American Rheinmetall Vehicles
American Rheinmetall Vehicles delivers next-generation, advanced tactical wheeled vehicles and innovative tracked and wheeled combat vehicles in support of today’s highest combat vehicle modernization priorities. Rheinmetall’s collaborative global structure allows for the maturation and strengthening of the U.S. Industrial Base now and into the future. American Rheinmetall Vehicles is part of the American Rheinmetall family of U.S. companies including American Rheinmetall Munitions in Stafford, VA, Windham, ME, and Camden, AR, American Rheinmetall Systems in Biddeford, ME and U.S. corporate parent American Rheinmetall Defense in Reston, VA. www.rheinmetall.com/arv  
Unmanned and Unmatched.

HUNT VALLEY, Md., October 3, 2024 – Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced today that Team RIPSAW — Textron Systems, its subsidiary, Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Defense — has delivered two RIPSAW® M3 prototype vehicles to the U.S. Army for the competitive Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) Phase I: Platform Prototype program. The vehicles were delivered to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

The RIPSAW M3 leverages a modular open systems architecture (MOSA) design and common chassis to support a variety of interchangeable payloads from a basic flat-top deck configuration. A rugged and reliable RCV platform, the vehicle is designed to meet Army requirements while preserving transportability and mission versatility.

“The RIPSAW M3 exemplifies the innovative technology Howe & Howe develops to support our customers,” said Senior Vice President, Mike Howe. “Designed for ease of integration with a common robotic core, the prototypes delivered represent the decades of experience in the ground robotics space our team possesses.”

“Team RIPSAW leverages the expertise of Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Defense, creating a mission-ready system to support the Army’s needs,” said Senior Vice President Air, Land and Sea Systems, David Phillips. “Our dedication to testing the prototype vehicles before delivery ensures we’re providing a rugged, reliable system.”

“We’re proud to be partnered with Textron Systems and Howe & Howe to deliver this unprecedented robotic platform to the U.S. Army,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, President of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We’re excited to bring our expertise in uncrewed aerial systems, 360-degree situational awareness, and intelligent sensing technology onto the RIPSAW M3 that will give soldiers a decisive tactical edge and allow commanders to make better, faster decisions.”

Team RIPSAW has invested in this family of robotic vehicles since 2019 when the RIPSAW M5 system first debuted. Later variants, including the M5-E (electric) and M3 Tech Demonstrator, leveraged the team’s collaboration with industry partners, academia and the U.S. Army to perform multiple mission sets in various environmental and test conditions. Since 2019, the RIPSAW family of vehicles have amassed over 4,700 miles of durability testing.