Robotic Combat Vehicles Showcased At Texas A&M System’s RELLIS Campus

The Army Futures Command got its first glimpse at the future of robotic combat vehicles last week at the Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS campus with industry leaders demonstrating existing technologies to the news media and a group of invited VIPs.

The five days of evaluations were the first in a series of technology demonstrations to help the Army Futures Command create the requirements for the next generation of robotic combat vehicles.

To participate in the demonstration, the vehicles had to travel over cross-country terrain, off-road and on paved roads at speeds of 15 to 75 miles per hour, carrying a payload of 1,000 pounds. The vehicle also needed to be capable of non-line-of-sight operation in all weather conditions and at a distance of 500 to 700 meters from the operator station.

Colonel Warren Sponsler, deputy director of the Next Generation Cross-Functional Team, said robotic combat vehicles will reduce the risk to soldiers.

“There are a lot of dirty, dangerous things our soldiers do on the battlefield today,” he said. “Robotic combat vehicles could do those things for them.”

The Army Futures Command was created in 2018 with the mission of modernizing the U.S. Army by developing future warfighting concepts, generating innovations through research and development, and building the next generation of weaponry.

The Army Futures Command, which is headquartered in Austin, is the Army’s first major command located in a major urban area. It has been reaching out to the private sector and universities to assist in its mission.

This week’s demonstration was the Army Futures Command’s first at the Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS Campus.