Hanwha Aerospace announced today that it has signed a contract with the US Department of Defense on the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) of Arion-SMET multi-purpose unmanned ground vehicle (UGV).
This marks the first time that a South Korean military UGV has been chosen for FCT evaluation, which is designed to assess and incorporate cutting-edge technologies from defense contractors among US allies. Successful completion of these tests could make these technologies potential candidates for US DoD procurement programs. Each year, approximately 10 technologies from around the world are selected for FCT testing.
The Arion-SMET testing will take place at a US Marine Corps training center in O’ahu, Hawaii, over a three-week period beginning in early December this year. The USMC will conduct a series of rigorous tests to assess and verify the UGV's technological readiness, ensuring it meets the service's operational requirements, including autonomous driving capabilities for transporting supplies on both predetermined and uncharted routes.
Before this FCT contract, Hanwha Aerospace conducted a series of technology demonstrations of the Arion-SMET at Camp Humphreys, a major US military base located south of Seoul, in collaboration with the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC).
“This series of events is crucial because the U.S. military forces began to appreciate that Hanwha Aerospace is excelled at not only manufacturing those strategic weapon systems such as K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer and the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle, but only at developing autonomous, next-generation unmanned systems,” Youngwoo Seo, Executive Vice President of Hanwha Aerospace. “We will do everything we can to successfully complete this FCT, in order to deliver the technology satisfying the US military’s requirements.”
The Arion-SMET (Autonomous and Robotic Systems for Intelligence Off-road Navigation – Small Multi-purpose Equipment Transport) is a 6x6 electric-powered vehicle designed to support infantry operations, including ammunition transport, CASEVAC (casualty evacuation), reconnaissance, and close-combat support.
It is optimized for supporting both manned and unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operations, offering four operation modes: remote operation, off-road, autonomous driving, exploratory autonomous maneuver, and tethered wire-following to troops.
The vehicle can travel up to 100 km on a full charge and has a maximum payload capacity of 550 kg, significantly enhancing its combat support and maneuverability capabilities.
