Uncrewed ground vehicle pact signed by American Rheinmetall & Harbinger
NewsMay 27, 2026
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. and HOUSTON, Tex. Military-vehicle maker American Rheinmetall and industrial power manufacturer Harbinger have announced a partnership under which they will develop and field a family of robotic and uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) in support of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) modernization priorities.
Under the terms of the agreement, the companies agreed to jointly pursue current and emerging DoD programs in which commercial-derived, hybrid-electric, and fully drive-by-wire architectures can inform the design and delivery of robotic combat, logistics, and sustainment solutions. The partners say that Initial areas of collaboration will include autonomous tactical wheeled vehicles, contested-logistics resupply, and next-generation robotic platforms that are aligned with U.S. Army autonomy and manned-unmanned teaming priorities.
According to the announcement of the collaboration, American Rheinmetall brings combat-vehicle integration experience, mature modular architecture and adaptable mission kit interface, and an established footprint in the U.S. For its part, Harbinger's hybrid platform is purpose-built with scalable battery architecture and a range-extended hybrid powertrain, which the companies say enable vehicles to perform silent watch, emit reduced thermal and acoustic signatures, and extend operational endurance.
The companies report that they will likely start to perform joint demonstrations during the summer of 2026 and will pursue near-term prototyping opportunities through Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), and traditional programs of record.
