Textron submits UGV for US Army robotic vehicle programme

Textron submitted its M3 Ripsaw – a variant of the vehicle picture on the right – for the US Army's RCV-L Middle Tier Acquisition rapid prototyping programme. (Textron Systems)

Textron recently offered its proposal for the US Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle – Light (RCV-L), an executive told Janes on 5 June.

The company submitted its M3 Ripsaw robotic ground vehicle to the service on 15 May, David Phillips, senior vice-president for land and sea systems, told Janes . The army is expected to make its selection of four competitors to build two prototypes by September.

The M3 demonstrator that Textron showcased at the annual Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in October 2022 was about 2,000 lb lighter than the final submission, according to Textron. The original system was an internally funded starting point, Phillips told Janes at the time.

The final submission weighs in at about 13,000 lb and keeps the same payload capacity at 5,000 lb, Phillips said. Its flat deck has 63 sq ft of surface area to maximise payload integration, which Textron has said is an important part of the army's requirements.

The base configuration of the RCV – which includes the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station – Javelin (CROWS-J) and Tethered Unmanned Aerial System – should weigh less than 21,000 lb, according to a Request for Prototype Proposals (RPP) reviewed by Janes .

Textron's final prototype submission features a hybrid electric drive system with 10 kW of offload power and more than 12 hours of all-electric mode.