Argentina designs multi-purpose UGV

The Mula UGV by American Robotics from Argentina was designed to deploy several types of payloads. (Victor Barreira)

Argentinean unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) company American Robotics designed a multi-purpose, modular, tracked UGV capable of being equipped with several payloads, company's CEO Javier Sebastián Mirich told Janes.

The UGV – designated the Mula (Mule in English) – is being developed alongside the Research and Development General Directorate of the Argentine Army (DGID), Sebastián Mirich said. A prototype is scheduled to be built in late 2023, he added.

The Mula UGV was designed to conduct a wide range of combat and non-combat missions, including logistics, search and rescue (SAR), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), forward communications node, and reconnaissance.

It can carry several payloads, including a remote weapon station (RWS) armed with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, stretchers, a manipulator arm, radio relay equipment, firefighting devices, and water and fuel tanks, among other items to support troops on the battlefield.

Standard equipment includes a towing winch capable of towing cargo trailers with a 6000 kg payload, ultra-high frequency (UHF) communication system for command-and-control operation using the handheld ruggedised terminal with a joystick, a light detection and ranging radar (LIDAR), and cameras.

It can be powered by hybrid or electric propulsion modules that provide a maximum autonomy of 15 h and 1 h, respectively.

The UGV weighing 1300 kg measures 3 m in length, 2.6 m in width, and 1.4 m in height for a top speed of 35 km/h.