This New Robotic Transporter Could Be A Gamechanger For Infantry Units

One of the more difficult aspects of being in the infantry is that you have to perform missions while carrying heavy gear and supplies on your back. With long deployments in the field, this can often result in exhaustion upon arrival, as well as rendering the soldier less mobile. But an unmanned ground vehicle in testing could shoulder a bit of that load. It's essentially the robotic version of a mule but with more features and less braying.

Called the squad multipurpose equipment transport (SMET), the vehicle is intended to transport heavy gear, as well as do things a mule certainly can't do, like provide mobile electrical charging, and occasionally add firepower for small units. Infantry troops often carry somewhere in the range of 60 to 120 pounds, and the idea is that at least some of that will be shouldered by a transport like the Arion-SMET, a six-wheeled electric vehicle that can carry 1,200 pounds.

According to Defense News, the SMET can travel up to 62 miles, reaching a top speed of 27 miles per hour on a paved road, and 14 mph on rougher terrain. Various forms of the vehicle are being tested by the Army and Marine Corps, and the hopes are they'll act as force multipliers, and allow units to carry more and travel longer distances. But it's the nature of their movement that will leave infantry free mobility as well.

As Popular Mechanics reports, the unmanned aspect is key to helping units of soldiers, since the vehicles can potentially be programmed to travel between points, follow a column of soldiers as they advance, and transport the wounded back to aid stations. "UGVs can supplement tactical vehicle operations since they are highly transportable, can be moved to points of need quickly and don't require licensed operators," said David Keeler, the Marine Corps Systems Command project lead.

The Army has ordered 675 platforms by October 2024 from General Dynamics. While the vehicles are unmanned and intended to lighten the infantry's load, the one extra piece of equipment they will have to carry is a remote control.