The US Army Rapid Equipping Force, through the Robotics Technology Consortium, have selected the Lockheed Martin squad mission support system (SMSS) to deploy to Afghanistan for a first-of-its-kind military assessment. SMSS will deploy as the winner of the Project Workhorse unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) competition sponsored by the Army.

The largest autonomous vehicle ever to be deployed with infantry, the 11-foot-long SMSS can carry more than half-a-tonne of a squad’s equipment on rugged terrain, easing the individual soldier’s burden, which can often exceed 100 pounds.

As part of the three-month military utility assessment (MUA), four vehicles and a field service representative will support light infantry in theatre as the service evaluates how autonomous vehicles can support or ease the equipment burden for deployed troops. The Army plans to begin the Afghanistan assessment late this year, after a period of evaluations and training.