Teledyne FLIR has signified its intention to join the US Army’s Light Equipment Carrier competition, introducing its proposal to the public for the first time.
During the annual conference of the Association of the US Army, the American firm unveiled its six-wheeled Multi-Mission Robotic Vehicle (M2RV), which it said meets the service’s light equipment carrier needs.
The M2RV features 38 square feet (3.5 square meters) of cargo space and a payload capacity of more than 2,600 pounds (1,179 kilograms).
The prototype has two attached payloads: a 10-pound (4.5 kilograms) quadcopter drone known as the R80D SkyRaider and a 280-HDEP surveillance system mounted at the back.
The vehicle can travel at a maximum speed of 10 miles (16 kilometers) per hour.
We’re debuting our Multi-Mission Robotic Vehicle (M2RV) at AUSA this week, a powerful and adaptable mobile platform that meets the US Army’s S-MET Inc II needs. And more.
Stop by and check it out, Hall A, Booth 1003. #AUSA2023 #robots pic.twitter.com/jJ8WjtObBV
— Teledyne FLIR (@flir) October 9, 2023
Additional Features
Designed to make soldiers in the field more agile, the Teledyne vehicle has the capacity to run for 100 miles (160 kilometers) with a full tank of fuel and fully charged batteries.
Such a feature is reportedly above the army’s needs for three-day platoon treks, which usually cover 60 to 70 miles (96 to 112 kilometers).
Additionally, the M2RV has a solid steel chassis to withstand challenging environments and traverse through bodies of water as high as 3 feet (36 inches).
According to the manufacturer, the vehicle can be lifted by a helicopter or towed to support long-range missions.
The M2RV is expected to be challenged by proposals from General Dynamics, Hanwha Defense, and Rheinmetall.
