Raytheon Tests Unmanned Truck-mounted Artillery Rocket System

Raytheon has tested its unmanned DeepStrike truck-mounted artillery rocket system at the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence, demonstrating its autonomous launch capabilities.

The DeepStrike launcher, built on Oshkosh Defense’s FMTV A2 truck and electronics, uses Forterra’s self-driving technology to operate without a driver. Ursa Major manufactured the missile's rocket motor. The system demonstrated its ability to fire a newly developed missile for the Army’s Joint Reduced Range Rocket (JT3) program, designed for M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) or M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

Brian Burton, Raytheon’s vice president of Precision Fires & Maneuver, described DeepStrike as a platform that improves mobility, survivability, and magazine depth for the Army. The launcher is designed to fire missiles of various sizes and operate in extreme battlefield conditions, including fog, rain, and debris from destroyed vehicles.

Raytheon fired the DeepStrike launcher three times during the event, each with different objectives. The demonstration is part of ongoing efforts to integrate autonomous weapons into the Army’s future formations. While the Army has not yet announced a procurement plan for an autonomous launcher, officials are evaluating its role alongside other uncrewed weapon systems, such as the Autonomous Multi-domain Launcher (AML), an unmanned M142 rocket launcher.