The US Marine Corps has awarded Oshkosh Defense a $23.7-million contract to deliver Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires) carriers.
The new vehicles will make up the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), which provides the HIMARS with anti-ship capabilities.
The service will integrate a Naval Strike Missile launcher onto a ROGUE-Fires carrier for better target engagement on sea and land.
Work for the contract will be performed in Virginia, Maryland, and Wisconsin and is expected to be completed by November 2023.
ROGUE-Fires Vehicle
Oshkosh Defense’s ROGUE-Fires is an unmanned ground vehicle that leverages off-road mobility and advanced autonomous vehicle technologies.
It is designed to support ground-based anti-ship missile operations.
“ROGUE Fires was purpose-built and leverages next-generation capabilities from several proven Oshkosh Defense vehicle platforms and technologies,” company official Pat Williams said in 2021.
He further explained that the vehicle is configurable to meet required specifications for every mission.
“The flexible design allows for the integration of scalable weapon system payloads to offer the combatant commanders flexibility based on the mission’s requirements,” Williams added.
Last year, a NMESIS launcher attached to a ROGUE-Fires vehicle successfully scored a direct hit on a target at sea during a live-fire exercise.
