Korea's major Defence contractor Hanwha Defence and an army infantry division have started the test operation of a six-wheeled a 2-ton class Multi-Purpose Unmanned Ground Vehicle (M-UGV ) that can carry up to 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of cargo and travel more than 100 kilometres (62.1 miles) per charge.
The six-wheeled electric vehicle dubbed the intelligence UGV (I-UGV), unveiled in July 2021. Hanwha Defence has previously showcased that a four-wheeled 1.5-ton electric vehicle that can move at a top speed of 30 kilometres per hour on paved roads. The M-UGV can be controlled remotely or autonomously to carry out various surveillance, logistics transport, evacuation of casualties, and combat engagement missions.
According to a statement issued by Hanwha Defence on October 8, the field demonstration of an I-UGV began at an army infantry division to evaluate various capabilities such as remote control, GPS-based autonomous driving, and remote-controlled weapon system (RCWS). Hanwha stated that the I-UGV would be remotely controlled or operated autonomously on battlefields for surveillance missions. It has a low silhouette for such missions and is equipped with airless tyres.
The I-UGV, like its smaller brother M-UGV, may perform missions like reconnaissance, communication relay, logistical transport, casualty transport, and close combat. The RCWS from Hanwha Defence is an artificial intelligence-based weapon turret system. It can detect gunfire and fire back in the direction of the source of the sound.
When the radio signal is lost, the six-wheeled I-UGV will attempt to re-establish communication with the control tower. If it cannot reconnect with the control tower, the I-UGV will return to its starting location independently.
