An M142 HIMARS MLRS vehicle fitted with an autonomy kit performed its first drive test without human intervention.
Lockheed Martin’s autonomous drive test demonstrated the capability to mobilize, operate, and position the M142 HIMARS MLRS vehicle without human intervention.
Lockheed Martin is working on autonomy kits for existing Army platforms, a prime example being the kit for the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter, which has been tested in various scenarios.
An unmanned MLRS with human operators can remain on standby for more extended periods than one. This can be especially useful when the MLRS is deployed in a defensive position or has to be kept ready for fire support for friendly forces.
Another U.S. effort for an autonomous fire support vehicle is the NMESIS for USMC based on JLTV 4x4 vehicle. Developed by Oshkosh for the ROUGE Fires programme, the hull has its cabin removed to mount larger artillery rockets and missiles than the baseline JLTV can carry. These munitions include NSM anti-ship missiles, GMLRS 227 mm guided artillery rockets, and BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
