The Rheinmetall-developed Mission Master unmanned ground vehicle is joining a Dutch Army experimentation program focusing on future maneuver elements.
Over the next two years, the Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Unit of the 13th Light Brigade will run a concept development & experimentation (CD&E) program to pave the way for an operational unit.
Various innovative operational concepts will be shaped to create desired future maneuver elements that will enable the Dutch Army to execute missions more effectively. These operational concepts include the use of autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (A-UGV).
Rheinmetall delivered the Mission Master UGV to the Netherlands this month.
The handover marks the vehicle’s second success involving a NATO customer. In the UK, Her Majesty’s Armed Forces ordered four Rheinmetall Mission Master robotic vehicles in April 2020. Configured for transporting cargo, these autonomous unmanned ground vehicles are forming part of the British Army’s Robotic Platoon Vehicle program.
This program is designed to determine the extent to which unmanned vehicles can boost the combat effectiveness and capabilities of dismounted troops at platoon level. The four Mission Master – Cargo vehicles were delivered in spring 2020. They were supplied by Rheinmetall Canada, with Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) providing on-location support services in its capacity as cooperation partner. In the Netherlands, Rheinmetall Canada’s cooperation partner is Rheinmetall Defence Nederland in Ede, just east of Utrecht.
