For an organization as large as the U.S. Army, frequent change is a significant challenge. However, military leadership and their commercial partners are embracing this mindset, endeavoring to bring new solutions to the table.
At this year’s AUSA Exhibition, General Dynamics Land Systems prominently displayed three innovative vehicles. The Stryker, TRX and MUTT, each impressive on their own, were designed with a collective vision.
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The Stryker variant Mission Command on the Move (MCOTM) aims to bring traditionally static battle positions closer to the fight. Jeff Massimilla, global vice president of engineering, design and technology at General Dynamics, explained the concept.
“How do you distribute the assets within the command post and leverage unmanned assets? They may perform reconnaissance or disguise the command post by altering its signature,” Massimilla said. “The idea is mission command on the move.”
Massimilla emphasized creating multiple advantages for a crew of up to six soldiers.
“We integrate unique ways of generating power and use the MUTT XM to make the command post appear in a different location, enhancing safety for the Army,” Massimilla said.
A crucial component of this concept is the Tracked Robot 10-ton, or TRX, a robotic combat vehicle designed for reconnaissance, fire support, air defense and electronic warfare missions. Chad Malec, program manager for General Dynamics, highlighted the platform’s benefits.
“You have a range between operators in their manned platform and the TRX, providing standoff distance from threats,” Malec said. “This allows us to defeat threats before they reach our forces.”
The TRX is one of the machines the Army is considering for its next robotic combat vehicle. Malec noted that the platform’s benefits include keeping soldiers out of harm’s way and creating options for commanders.
The MUTT XM, the newest member of General Dynamics’ family of multi-utility tactical transport robotic vehicles, supports various missions, including delivering robotic quadrupeds to areas where soldiers need surveillance without exposure. Ray Moldovan, business development manager at General Dynamics, described the MUTT XM as “a soldier’s best friend.”
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“With its expanded power offload and payload capacity, the MUTT XM offers numerous options for different missions,” Moldovan said.
While it remains uncertain if the Army will adopt the vehicles showcased by General Dynamics at AUSA, the concept appears timely and promising.
Access the full Weapons and Warfare episode here.
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[Ryan Robertson]
WINSTON CHURCHILL IS CREDITED WITH SAYING “TO IMPROVE IS TO CHANGE; TO BE PERFECT IS TO CHANGE OFTEN.”
CHANGING OFTEN FOR AN ORGANIZATION AS LARGE AS THE U.S. ARMY IS NO SMALL FEAT. BUT IF YOU LISTEN TO MILITARY LEADERSHIP THESE DAYS, YOU’LL KNOW CHANGE IS ON EVERYONE’S MINDS.
INCLUDING THEIR COMMERCIAL PARTNERS. PARTNERS WHO ARE NOT ONLY LISTENING BUT BRINGING SOME NEW ANSWERS TO THE TABLE.
PROMINENTLY PARKED IN BOOTH 703 ON THE AUSA EXHIBITION FLOOR AT THIS YEAR’S GATHERING WERE SOME VEHICLES THAT REPRESENT SOME INNOVATIVE THINKING FROM GENERAL DYNAMICS LAND SYSTEMS.
SEPARATELY, THE STRYKER, TRX, AND MUTT ARE ALL VERY CAPABLE. BUT THEY WERE BUILT WITH A COLLECTIVE VISION IN MIND.
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE STRYKER MISSION COMMAND ON THE MOVE. TAKING A TRADITIONALLY STATIC BATTLE POSITION AND GETTING IT CLOSER TO THE FIGHT.
[Jeff Massimilla, Global VP of Engineering, Design and Tech. at General Dynamics LS]
“And so how do you take something like this? How you distribute the assets within the command post and then leverage assets that are unmanned? Maybe perform functions. They may be performing functions of reconnaissance. They may be performing functions of, you know, disguising the command post by making it look like, from a signature perspective, that it’s not where it is. So that’s the idea of mission command on the move.”
[Ryan Robertson]
JEFF MASSIMILLA, IS THE GLOBAL VICE PRESIDENT OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY AT GENERAL DYNAMICS LAND SYSTEMS. HE SAYS IT’S ALL ABOUT CREATING MULTIPLE ADVANTAGES FOR A CREW OF UP TO SIX SOLDIERS.
[Jeff Massimilla, Global VP of Engineering, Design and Tech. at General Dynamics LS]
“How do we take unique ways of generating power? How do we take the things you’re going to talk about on the MUTT XM Over here, where I can make the command post look like it’s in a different spot than it is, and integrating that all into a singular identity, so I can really keep the army safe for the customer, safe when, when they’re out there and they have to set up that command post.”
[Ryan Robertson]
ONE VERY IMPORTANT PIECE TO THE ENTIRE CONCEPT IS THE TRACKED ROBOT 10-TON, AKA TRX, A ROBOTIC COMBAT VEHICLE EQUIPPED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT RECONNAISSANCE, FIRE SUPPORT, AIR DEFENSE, AND ELECTRONIC WARFARE MISSIONS.
[Chad Malec, Prog. Manager, RCV Program]
“So you’ve got some amount of range between the operators in their manned platform, similar to the mccon striker that’s in our booth this year. So you’ve got that, you know, that standoff distance, and then the standoff from this vehicle to the threats, to the targets, from a from reconnaissance surveillance standpoint, then from a from an impact standpoint, to be able to defeat threats before they come into into the bubble.”
[Ryan Robertson]
IF THE TRX SOUNDS A LITTLE FAMILIAR, THAT MIGHT BE BECAUSE WE RECENTLY PROFILED IT AS ONE OF THE MACHINES THE ARMY IS CONSIDERING FOR IT’S NEXT ROBOTIC COMBAT VEHICLE.
CHAD MALEC, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR GENERAL DYNAMICS, SAYS THE PLATFORM’S BENEFITS ARE NUMEROUS.
[Chad Malec, Prog. Manager, RCV Program]
“You’d be able to keep soldiers out of harm’s way, create that extra time and space and standoff, create options for commanders so they can dedicate their resources to the most important tasks and let these systems do the things that are more mundane and more dangerous.
[Ryan Robertson]
AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE MUTT XM. GENERAL DYNAMICS SAYS IT’S THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY OF MULTI-UTILITY TACTICAL TRANSPORT ROBOTIC VEHICLES.
BUILT FOR A VARIETY OF MISSIONS, INCLUDING DELIVERING ROBOTIC QUADRUPEDS TO WHEREVER SOLDIERS NEED TO HAVE EYES ON A SITUATION BUT DON’T WANT TO BE EXPOSED.
[RAY MOLDOVAN, Business Development Manager at General Dynamics]
“It’s a Soldier’s Best Friend, right? You know, mutts are the best dogs, and this is the best robot for soldiers, as far as things that we can do with it, right? With that expanded power offload, you know, 10 kilowatts plus, we can power many different payloads with a payload of over 3000 pounds. You know, that gives us a lot of options,”
[Ryan Robertson]
WHILE IT’S NOT YET KNOWN IF THE ARMY WILL BITE ON THE UNIT OF VEHICLES’ GENERAL DYNAMICS PUT ON DISPLAY AT AUSA, IT DOES SEEM LIKE A CONCEPT THAT’S TIME HAS ARRIVED.
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