News

Source: Rheinmetall


RHEINMETALL PRESENTS NEXT GEN "WIESEL WINGMAN" SOLUTION FOR ROBOTIC COMBAT VEHICLE
Monday, October 14, 2019

Source: Rheinmetall


WASHINGTON - Rheinmetall will showcase its capabilities at the largest land warfare tradeshow in North America: the Association of United States Army annual meeting (AUSA 2019) taking place in Washington DC, 14-16 October 2019.

On display will be a Wiesel/Weasel fighting vehicle, the platform that forms the basis for Rheinmetall's innovative "Wiesel Wingman" autonomous combat vehicle concept for the US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle - Light program. The Wiesel Wingman brings together capabilities of Rheinmetall's "Wiesel Digital" and Mission Master UGV vehicle platforms.

The Wiesel Wingman is based on Rheinmetall's Wiesel Digital, a fully digitalized version of the Wiesel that has been refined over the past years. This includes the full digitalization of the vehicle and the replacement of all mechanical and hydraulic transmission elements with a digitized transmission. In addition, the Wiesel Wingman is equipped with Drive by Wire (DbW) with triple redundancy. This DbW system has gone through rigorous testing, making the Wiesel Wingman the very first armored tracked vehicle certified for on-road use with DbW.

The vehicle retains the high mobility found in existing variants of the Wiesel, with a top speed of 43mph and excellent maneuverability on various terrain due to its low GVW and low ground pressure. The Wiesel Wingman armored hull protects all critical components against fragmentation and small arms fire.

The vehicle can be equipped with a variety of systems; for the RCV-L the Wiesel Wingman includes a CROWS-J; other lethal variants are also possible, based on the payload capability of the Wiesel chassis. The vehicle has outstanding reconnaissance capabilities due to its superior mobility and its integrated tethered drone, which highly increases its surveillance and target identification capabilities. The Wiesel Wingman can be air-transported in a CH-47 and a CH-53 as an internal or external load. Two of the vehicles can easily fit into a C-130.

This vehicle has been tested and proven during various exercises and trials by the U.S. and German Army. The Mission Master UGV, developed by Rheinmetall Canada, contributes its autonomous technologies to the Wiesel Wingman platform. This provides the Wiesel Wingman with a tried and true suite of sensors, universal platform control and navigation software.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) kit enables the vehicle to conduct semi-autonomous and autonomous operations, from remote-controlled steering to leader-follower operation and waypoint navigation. Obstacle avoidance, operation in environments lacking GPS and remote sensor/effector control make the Wiesel Wingman smartest, most robust vehicle in its class. Its open software architecture and the sizable internal volume provides the US Army with significant growth potential for future technology.

Rheinmetall Canada's Mission Master UGV will be on display along with the Wiesel at AUSA, in both cargo and protection (armed) configurations. The Mission Master platform is a world-leading autonomously operating UGV showcasing

Rheinmetall's advanced developments in autonomous combat vehicle operating capabilities. The Mission Master features all-terrain and amphibious mobility, as well as silent drive mode. It can operate autonomously or semi-autonomously. In addition to a flexible storage system, the Mission Master -- Cargo can be fitted to suit both high and low-profile operations. Its robust design can shoulder over a half-ton payload of supplies, equipment, and materials. The Mission Master - Protection will feature the unique

Rheinmetall Fieldranger Multi weapon station, armed with a 70 mm rocket launcher from Thales that recently demonstrated the ability to fire a salvo of 14 rockets, delivering 60 kg of explosives on objective in 1.6 seconds. The Mission Master - Protection can also support .50 cal. machine guns and 40 mm grenade launchers. For more details about how Rheinmetall is developing robotic, remote and autonomous vehicles and its proposal for the US Army RCV-L program, meet our team of specialists on Rheinmetall’s booth No. 6618 at AUSA 2019.

 

NOTICE TO USERS

Warranty: Forecast International makes no guarantees as to the veracity or accuracy of the information provided. It warrants only that the information, which has been obtained from multiple sources, has been researched and screened to the best of the ability of our staff within the limited time constraints. Forecast International encourages all clients to use multiple sources of information and to conduct their own research on source data prior to making important decisions. All URLs listed were active as of the time the information was recorded. Some hyperlinks may have become inactive since the time of publication.

Technical Support: Phone (203)426-0800 e-mail support@forecastinternational.com

Subscription Information: Phone (203)426-0800 or (800)451-4975; FAX (203)426-0223 (USA) or e-mail sales@forecastinternational.com

Aerospace/Defense News Highlights is published by Forecast International, 75 Glen Rd, Suite 302 Sandy Hook, CT 06482 USA. Articles that list Forecast International as the source are Copyrighted © 2024. Reproduction in any form, or transmission by electronic or other means, is prohibited without prior approval from the publisher.

Forecast International welcomes comments and suggestions regarding its material.
Please send any feedback to: info@forecastinternational.com