U.S. Army S-MET Increment II uncrewed ground vehicle prototypes to be developed by 2 companies
NewsOctober 08, 2024
DETROIT ARSENAL, Michigan. American Rheinmetall Vehicles and HDT Expeditionary Systems, Inc. won two contracts totaling $22 million under the U.S. Army's Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) Increment II program, the Army announced in a statement.
Both companies will each provide eight prototypes of their S-MET vehicles for testing and evaluation. The second increment of the S-MET program aims to improve upon the first iteration by doubling payload capacity to 2,000 lbs., adding higher exportable power, improved audio signature reduction, and modular architecture, the statement reads. These upgrades are designed to enhance the capabilities of small combat units by reducing physical burdens and enabling semi-independent operations.
Successful testing of the S-MET Increment II prototypes is expected to lead to a production contract in late fiscal year 2027, with the potential acquisition of up to 2,195 systems, the statement says.
