The British Army is testing heavy unmanned ground vehicles (H-UGV) for the first time. Companies that successfully participated in the Human-Machine Teaming framework program demonstrated the capabilities of their technologies to the British Army.
For two weeks, so-called H-UGVs were subjected to a series of tests at the Armoured Trials and Development Unit in Bovington, Dorset. This is intended to provide a comprehensive picture of the vehicles’ performance in combat situations. The British military defines H-UGVs as vehicles that weigh over five tons and operate remotely.
Defence Equipment & Support’s Future Capability Group (FCG) is responsible for the trials. The test series was not preceded by any comparable event. Consequently, it is the British military’s first foray into the operational capability of heavy unmanned vehicles. Three platforms are part of the program in this context. The Robust from the Israeli manufacturer Elbit, the Type X platform from the Estonian company Milrem and Rheinmetall’s Wiesel went through the test procedure. The aim of the exercise was to gain knowledge about the speed of the systems, their ability to maneuver in difficult terrain and the quality of the communication systems.
Lt. Col. John-Pryce, commander of the ATDU, called the experience fascinating. However, the lieutenant colonel does not expect serious military use of the equipment for another 10 to 30 years.
“Make no mistake, we are at the beginning of a very long journey. But I’m excited about what we saw during the tests. The exercise exemplifies successful collaboration between the Army, FCG and our industry partners.”