American Rheinmetall Vehicles Wins Contract for U.S. Army’s Transport UGV Program

American Rheinmetall Vehicles has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army’s Small Multi-Purpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) program to develop an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) for transporting supplies over rough terrain in combat operations.

In collaboration with Textron Systems, American Rheinmetall Vehicles will produce and deliver eight prototypes in 2025 for testing. These prototypes will compete against another vehicle selected in the program before the Army chooses a single platform for full-scale production.

Rheinmetall has previously developed the Mission Master family, which features various autonomous platforms for missions like reconnaissance and logistical support. The S-MET vehicle will use technology from the Mission Master vehicles and include commercial components already in the Army’s inventory.

The partnership includes expertise from Textron’s subsidiary, Howe & Howe, which has developed robotic ground platforms for the Army. The S-MET vehicle will have a similar control system to Textron’s existing vehicles, simplifying training for operators and maximizing resource investments.