PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – Marking the latest milestone in its history, the Army has expanded the capabilities of the M139 Volcano System with the first remote firing of the Autonomous Volcano next generation obstacle emplacement capability.
The demonstration took place at Camp Grayling, MI on May 19 during three days of hands-on training and included distinguished visitors from the United Kingdom’s Assistant Head Ground Maneuver Directorate – Col. James Fern, the Engineer Commandant, Col. Tim Hudson, and Future Capabilities Director, Col. Hector Montemayor.
The Autonomous Volcano system uses the reliable M139 Volcano mine dispenser, which can lay up to 960 mines to create a barrier about 120 meters wide and 1,100 meters long. It is mounted on the Palletized Load System (PLS) A1 truck and operates with an autonomous By-Wire/Active Safety Kit.
Autonomous delivery of obstacles is a massive force multiplier that shapes the battlespace at tempo. The Autonomous Volcano systems preserves combat power by removing engineers from the danger zone and forward line of troops while simultaneously allowing multi-vehicle remote firings that enable friendly forces to disrupt the enemy before they can react. This new technology also provides digital precision by automatically logging and injecting exact obstacle coordinates directly into the Common Operating Picture for seamless joint coordination.
In the first live-fire scenario, four Soldiers from the 576th Combat Engineer Company – Armored, 4th Engineering Battalion remotely fired M88 cannisters from a M139 Volcano for the first time marking a major milestone in advanced autonomous mobility for battlefield shaping.
The second scenario highlighted the robotic autonomy of the system and consisted of emplacing two distinct fix/disrupt minefields autonomously in two separate areas simultaneously. Autonomous Volcano achieved its objective with no human interference necessary.
The M139 Volcano was developed in the 1980s during the latter years of the Cold War and consists of a Volcano dispensing system mounted on the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT). The move to an autonomous variant involved integrating the system into a PLS with the Forterra autonomy stack. “Autonomous Volcano leverages low-cost modernization to turn a legacy platform into a high-yield autonomous asset – securing asymmetric overmatch and closing a critical area-denial gap,” said Col. Vinson Morris, Project Manager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS). “It’s an example of how the Army is embracing the ‘fight tonight’ concept where readiness is not a static goal but a continuous process of adaptation and improvement.”
A joint program between the Army and the UK, Autonomous Volcano exemplifies collaboration both with international partners and within the Army. Both the CPE & AE and CPE AS worked together, within PAE AS&A, to support the project by combining their expertise and bringing together vehicles managed by CPE Combat Logistics and munitions developed under the Product Manager Terrain Shaping Obstacles (PdM TSO) team within the PM CCS office.
PdM TSO worked together with U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s (DEVCOM) Armaments Center and Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC), and industry partner Forterra to ensure seamless interoperability between platforms and munitions enabling enhanced operational effectiveness and streamlined logistics.
“This joint effort aligns directly with integrated deterrence. Our partnership with the UK on this development ensures seamless allied interoperability and shared Research and Development, strengthening our combined coalition posture,” said Bernie Theisen, Chief Technology Officer, DEVCOM GVSC.
By leveraging the expertise of the PAE AS&A team, the Volcano system demonstrates the Army’s ability to deliver integrated solutions that address complex battlefield requirements. This collaboration exemplifies the power of the Army Transformation Initiative.
After the successful proof-of-concept demonstration at Camp Grayling, the Autonomous Volcano program will demonstrate its capabilities at Project Convergence Capstone 6 at Fort Irwin, CA to transition from prototyping to operational testing. On July 13, Soldiers will operate the system in multiple realistic scenarios; then on 29 July it will be part of the “Best of Breed” demonstration to the Secretary of the Army.
By Michael Chambers
