U.S. Army overseeing development of a family of unmanned battle tanks armed with light and heavy weapons
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army, after years of experimentation, is planning to roll out an entire family of unmanned combat vehicles to boost the firepower of infantry and armored brigade combat teams. Popular Mechanics reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
4 Dec. 2020 -- The smallest vehicle, RCV-Light (RCV-L), will be a wheeled vehicle weighing less than 10 tons. The Army specifies a maximum length of 18.5 feet, making it a foot shorter than a Ford Expedition.
RCV-L will be transportable by helicopter, and would be armed with a light weapon such as Javelin anti-tank missiles; the Army will expect to lose them during combat.
The next size up is RCV-Medium (RCV-M), which will be slightly longer and wider than its smaller sibling, and transportable in a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. It will accommodate heavier weapons, armor, and a track-laying mechanism for tanks.
Related: Vetronics of the Future Combat System
Related: Army wants armored combat vehicle to demonstrate unmanned technologies
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
