A new unmanned vehicle technology from Oshkosh Defense could keep military personnel out of harm’s way during route-clearance missions.
Oshkosh Defense is a division of Oshkosh-based military, fire and emergency, commercial and equipment vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh Corp.
The division’s TerraMax unmanned ground vehicle technology has been integrated into an Oshkosh MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle for use in reducing troops’ exposure to threats like improvised explosive devices. The technology would allow one or multiple vehicles in a route clearance convoy to operate autonomously.
The TerraMax UGV system can also incorporate counter-IED devices like ground-penetrating radar and mine rollers. The unmanned vehicle could additionally be used for over-the-horizon situational awareness for the accompanying manned vehicles.
“The clearance of threats like IEDs, mines and unexploded munitions pose challenges that global military forces have faced since World War II, and are expected to continue long after Afghanistan,” said John Urias, president of Oshkosh Defense. “Our TerraMax UGV technology can bring autonomous capabilities to existing manned vehicle platforms, like the M-ATV, to remove troops from targeted routes and provide greater standoff distance from explosive threats. It also has force-multiplication benefits with one operator controlling several vehicles, so logistics operations can be successfully completed with fewer troops.”
Oshkosh is developing the product independently, parallel to efforts within the U.S. Marine Corps and Army.
